Italian PM Meloni plans conservative coalition with Orbán, EPP leaders

Italian Prime Minister and leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Giorgia Meloni appears to be making moves to unite the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) and the far-right Patriots for Europe, led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Both groups have been invited to a three-day convention in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The conference, scheduled to take place from October 18 to 20, will focus on family issues and is expected to attract participants from the ECR, the EPP, and the Patriots, provided they accept the invitations.

In Italy, Meloni’s ECR governs in coalition with Matteo Salvini’s Lega (Patriots for Europe) and Antonio Tajani’s Forza Italia (EPP). It is an alliance she seems keen to replicate on the European stage.

Meloni has maintained a strong relationship with both Orbán, the founder of the Patriots, and the EPP through Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and party leader Manfred Weber. Weber recently pushed for an Italian representative to have a significant role in the European Commission, despite the ECR not being part of the pro-European majority.

Rafaelle Fitto, representing the ECR, is set to take on the high-profile role of executive vice president, provided he passes the scrutiny of MEPs without issue.

Meloni’s party, Fratelli d’Italia, anticipates the attendance of Kinga Gal, vice-president of the Patriots group, and Zsófia Koncz, Hungary’s Secretary of State for Family Affairs. However, Salvini's Lega has confirmed to Euractiv Italy that it will not be attending, as Salvini is scheduled to appear in court in Palermo for the Open Arms case.

The EPP’s participation remains uncertain, although their presence would be vital to Meloni’s plans due to their significant representation in the European Parliament. If they attend, the ECR is hoping for the presence of a senior figure, possibly Dubravka Šuica, the European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, given her Croatian background and relevant portfolio.

The convention will also provide a platform for further discussions about the leadership of European conservatives. Meloni has indicated her intention to step down as ECR leader, with former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki being tipped as her likely successor. This potential change could stir tensions with the EPP, given that Morawiecki's main rival is current Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a key figure in the EPP.

By Aghakazim Guliyev