Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attended a meeting of Italy’s nationalist-conservative Brothers of Italy (FdI) party in Rome and offered his government’s help in his address on September 22. Hungary’s right-wing populist leader, invited by Fdl party leader Giorgia Meloni, received a standing ovation after his speech.

"Hungary is prepared to help Italy, where it can; thus, if the country finally commits to protect its borders, we will help to that end as well as return migrants already in Italy back home," Orban told the crowd.

He said that a number of Western European leaders believe that allowing in masses of migrants who are different from the Christian majority will create a new society from the mix, a society that is of a higher quality. Central Europe does not think along these lines, because integration will not come of this: they will not live together, but apart, he added

Orban responded to Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s criticism, who blamed V4 countries for failing to assist Italy in easing the migration crisis.

The Hungarian government slammed the new left-wing Italian government’s decision to open its ports to private vessels bringing migrants rescued at sea.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto called the move "deplorable and dangerous" and said it would create a lasting diplomatic clash between his country and Italy. His Italian counterpart meanwhile called for sanctions for EU member states who refuse to take on migrants under a proposed redistribution scheme.

The Hungarian government had been a staunch supporter of Italy's previous interior minister Matteo Salvini. Orban called the leader of the eurosceptic League Party a hero for his efforts to stop illegal immigration by sea.

Orban has openly flirted with eurosceptic forces, but failed to join the far-right block launched by Salvini before the European Parliament elections earlier this year. He called for cooperation between the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) and radical parties.

As eurosceptic parties failed to make a breakthrough Orban has focused his attention in regaining his position in the EPP, where his party remains suspended.