US President Donald Trump has praised Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte for his controversial immigration policy. "I strongly agree with what you are doing about migration, illegal migration, and also legal migration," Trump told Conte at the Oval Office on Monday.
Conte had taken a very tough stance, an attitude that had only been adopted by a few countries. "And honestly, in my opinion, you're doing the right thing," added the US president. "Many other countries in Europe should do that too."
In the past, Trump has repeatedly criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) for what she considers to be liberal refugee policies.
Trump and Conte are following a similarly tough course on immigration. Under Trump, the US is increasingly isolating itself and making immigration massively more difficult. Most recently, the Republican stood out because of the separation of families in the criticism who had come illegally across the border with Mexico in the United States.
The refugee policy of the new government in Rome and, in particular, the right interior minister Matteo Salvini is also controversial. In order to increase pressure on other EU countries, Italy repeatedly denied ships with rescued migrants access to its ports.
The demonstrative harmony between Trump and Conte is also noteworthy because the US president had just described the EU as an "opponent". His ambassador in Germany, Richard Grenell, had also set the goal of strengthening conservative forces in Europe.