Péter Magyar, the future Hungarian Prime Minister, traveled to Brussels on Wednesday to meet the heads of European institutions and try to restore the strained link between the EU and his predecessor, Viktor Orban. The next Hungarian leader hopes in particular for the rapid unfreezing of European funds suspended by the European Union.
Published on: 04/29/2026 - 04:03 Modified on: 04/29/2026 - 22:35
The memory of Viktor Orban already seems far away. The next Prime Minister of Hungary, Péter Magyar, spoke on Wednesday April 29 in Brussels with the heads of European institutions, harboring the clear ambition of warming up relations damaged under his predecessor.
From these meetings, the future Prime Minister hopes to make concrete progress. Starting with a precise plan to recover billions of euros in funds intended for Budapest and frozen by the European Union.
“It’s a very, very demanding mission,” assured the forty-year-old on Facebook upon his arrival in Brussels. In this video, where we see him driving through the streets of the Belgian capital, he however said he was "very optimistic and full of hope".
In Brussels, Peter Magyar was welcomed with wide open arms.
“It’s almost as if Hungary joined the European Union again,” Green MEP Daniel Freund told AFP.
With the overwhelming victory of Péter Magyar, Hungary, a member of the EU since 2004, has "resumed its European path", greeted Ursula von der Leyen.
18 billion euros outstanding
What's the point of waiting for the inauguration of the future leader, scheduled for May 9? The head of the European executive welcomed him with a smile on Wednesday to the Commission's premises.
“We have no time to lose,” argued the person concerned, after years of frosty relations between his country and the EU.
The trip was carefully orchestrated, without a press conference – a sign that both parties want at all costs to avoid anything that could tarnish their honeymoon.
In recent days, European Union officials have already participated in two meetings with the teams of the future Prime Minister to discuss the most burning subjects.
Read also Defeat of Viktor Orban in Hungary: a “real blow” for the European extreme right
Starting with the 18 billion euros intended for Hungary and frozen by the EU as part of various procedures brought against Viktor Orban's policies, notably concerning the rights of LGBT+ people and asylum seekers.
As an extended hand to the next Hungarian leader, and to ensure his support on a series of issues, Brussels could be in favor of a rapid release of these funds.
In a similar scenario, the EU had released billions of euros intended for Poland from the first pledges given by the government of pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in 2024.
Concrete reforms expected
On several occasions on Wednesday, Péter Magyar raised the prospect of an agreement with the Commission by the end of May.
“European funds will soon arrive in Hungary,” he declared after his meeting with Ursula von der Leyen.
The President of the Commission did not mention any specific timetable but welcomed a “very good exchange” with Péter Magyar.
Several elected officials call on Brussels to wait for the adoption of concrete reforms by Budapest before releasing the funds.
What precise measures will be required of the future Prime Minister, who has a very large majority in the Hungarian Parliament? This is the whole subject of Wednesday's discussions.
Also read: Can Péter Magyar “de-sorbanize” Hungary after his victory in the legislative elections?
In recent statements, Péter Magyar has pledged to be a loyal member of the European Union, and has notably announced that he wants to see his country join the European Public Prosecutor's Office. He could also quickly repeal anti-LGBT+ laws.
Coincidence or sign of goodwill? He announced that he wanted to “organize a meeting” in June with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom Viktor Orban had terrible relations.
Under the Orban era, these meetings of European leaders were marked by numerous coups.
From “hello, dictator!” that Jean-Claude Juncker, then President of the European Commission, had launched in 2015, following the sequence in which Viktor Orban had disappeared in 2024 while his counterparts validated the opening of accession talks with Ukraine.
With AFP
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