Péter Magyar Holds First Brussels Talks After Election Win

Hungary's prime minister-elect, Péter Magyar, met EU leaders in Brussels on Wednesday, marking his first such visit since his Tisza party secured a landslide election victory on 12 April. Magyar stated that "in one sentence, EU resources will soon arrive in Hungary," signaling a potential end to the freeze on billions in EU funds.

The Tisza party's win swept away 16 years of rule by Viktor Orbán, whose Fidesz-led government faced allegations of democratic backsliding and corruption that led to the withholding of EU funds.

Orbán had run a largely anti-EU election campaign and accused Magyar of being a puppet of Brussels. In response, Magyar assured Hungarians that the EU did not support conditions contrary to their country's interests. Von der Leyen described the exchange as "very good" with Hungary's next prime minister, adding that the EU's executive Commission would support work to address these issues and realign with shared European values.

He is not due to be sworn in until 9 May but has moved quickly, phoning von der Leyen two days after his election victory to press for the release of funds. Magyar said he would return to Brussels on 25 May to sign a political agreement aimed at unlocking funds from the EU's Covid-19 recovery program before it expires at the end of August.

The funds are tied to "super-milestones" involving anti-corruption and rule-of-law reforms set as part of Hungary's post-Covid recovery plan in 2022.

Party colleague Márton Hajdu said the conditions are no corruption and no government interference with the functioning of the courts. Hungary is also seeking access to billions in cheap EU defence loans. Budapest has also been paying a €1 million daily fine for breaching EU migration rules, which the incoming government aims to resolve.

Magyar hopes to agree a deal by late May on how to free up some €10 billion in frozen Covid recovery funds, turning the page on the tensions of Orbán's tenure. The Tisza party, formed just over two years ago, won 141 seats in the 199-seat National Assembly earlier this month, securing a super-majority of two-thirds of MPs that enables constitutional changes.

This position strengthens Magyar's ability to steer reforms through parliament.

Hungary's economy has shown minimal growth for the past three years, and the unblocked billions are expected to help revive it. In a sign of shifting EU dynamics, Orbán's veto on a €90 billion loan to Ukraine was lifted last week at an informal EU summit that the outgoing prime minister did not attend.

Magyar has also sought to reset relations with Kyiv, offering to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky early in June in the Hungarian-majority town of Berehove in south-western Ukraine.