Italy’s Eurosceptic, populist government pledged on Tuesday to work with the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary to “change the rules” of the European Union.

In what could emerge as a new axis between Rome and the so-called Visegrad group of Eastern European nations, Matteo Salvini, Italy’s interior minister, said he looked forward to working with Viktor Orban.

“We’ll work to change the rules of this European Union,” said Mr Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister and the head of the hard-Right League party, which is in coalition with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement.

It came as the country’s new prime minister laid out the new government's agenda, which risks putting it on a collision course with Europe.

Giuseppe Conte vowed to review EU sanctions against Russia and called for the swift and obligatory resettlement of migrants.