Montenegro went to Rome to bring Portugal and Italy closer, 11 years after the last visit
Luís Montenegro visited Rome to strengthen cooperation between Portugal and Italy — the first trip by a Portuguese head of government to the country in about 11 years.
Portugal and Italy have sat down together again at the highest level. Luís Montenegro travelled to Rome for a round of meetings with Italian leaders, a visit that opens a new phase in relations between the two countries — with one striking detail: it’s been about 11 years since a Portuguese head of government officially visited Italy.
Why does this visit matter?
It isn’t just protocol. Portugal and Italy are two southern European countries with plenty in common on the European agenda — from migration policy and defence to funds and the Union’s competitiveness. Getting closer to Rome gives Lisbon a heavyweight partner to press its positions in Brussels, at a time when Europe’s big questions are increasingly settled between capitals.
What’s on the table?
Economic cooperation and cross investment are the backbone of the meeting, alongside coordination on European files where the two countries tend to row the same way. Montenegro heads straight back to Lisbon to chair the Council of Ministers and pick up the domestic agenda, in a summer when he has promised to keep the Government working without a break and to face the opposition without backing down. Official statements from the visit are published by the Portuguese Government.
Image: European Union / Wikimedia Commons (Attribution)
