Is Italy following in Hungary’s footsteps?

A conservative commentator quotes earlier statements by Italian left-wing leader Matteo Renzi who used to condemn Hungary for building a fence along its southern borders and who now complains that Italy cannot cope with the inflow of migrants from Africa.

On Mandiner, Gellért Rajcsányi welcomes former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the club of those who don’t believe that Europe can absorb many more millions of people fleeing from vast zones of conflict and misery in Africa and Asia. The left-wing Italian government is contemplating a ban on foreign vessels with migrants on board from Italian ports and even a blockade along the Libyan shores as a record number of 10 thousand refugees reached Italy during the first three days of the week. Although three quarters of the migrants arriving in Italy tend to leave for western Europe within weeks, Mr Renzi said the situation has become unbearable for Italy’s population. Rajcsányi quotes earlier statements by Mr Renzi who in his capacity as Prime Minister of Italy severely condemned the Hungarian government in 2015 when a fence was built along Hungary’s southern border to prevent illegal migrants from crossing into the European Union. At the time, Mr Renzi said ‘authentic Europe is not built on walls and egoism’, or again “that idea is in insolent contradiction with history, freedom and the future’. The future is here, Rajcsányi concludes.