Magyar and signs of a new friendship between Hungary and the EU

Péter Magyar said that his victory “confirms Hungary’s place in Europe” and promises to reform the Constitution to reestablish democratic values, after 16 years of far-right government led by Viktor Orbán.

In his first press conference after the landslide election victory in Hungary, opposition leader Péter Magyar reiterated this Monday his intention to bring the country closer to the European Union (EU)after 16 years of disagreements between Budapest and Brussels during the government of Viktor Orbán.

Magyar’s victory could signal a shift in European politics, shaken by a drift to the far right over the last decade. The leader of the center-right Party for Respect and Freedom (Tisza), which won a large majority in Parliament in this Sunday’s elections, promised reform the Constitution with the aim of restoring democratic values ​​in the country.

While signaling a rapprochement with Brussels, he did not exclude the possibility of speaking with the President of Russia.

“If Vladimir Putin calls, I will answer”he stated. “If we talked, I could tell him that it would be good to end the massacre after four years and end the war,” he declared, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“It would probably be a short phone conversation and I don’t think he would end the war on my advice,” Magyar said. The statement will probably have been well received in the EU, following the conciliatory tone adopted by Orbán regarding the conflict in Ukraine and Putin.

Budapest closest to Brussels

Magyar’s victory was met with a strong sense of hope in Brussels at a time when the EU faces tensions with Russia, antagonism from Donald Trump’s administration in the US and economic pressure imposed by China.

EU leaders were increasingly frustrated with Orbán after he took control of Hungarian democratic institutions and, at the European level, vetoed strategic actions such as a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine.

“Yesterday, the Hungarian people, exactly 23 years after the referendum on our EU membership, confirmed Hungary’s place in Europe“, Magyar said. “I would like to see a strong Central Europe within a strong EU,” he said, referring to the region where his country is located on the European continent.

During the election campaign, Magyar avoided talking about the war in Ukraine or commenting on controversial issues, such as the LGBTQ+ rights — particularly sensitive topics in Hungary.

This Monday, at the press conference, he stated that, for Tisza and the millions of Hungarians who support him, “Everyone can live with whoever they want and love whoever they want, as long as they do not violate the laws or harm others.”

EU financial aid to Ukraine

After taking office in May, the new prime minister may suspend Hungary’s veto and allowing the European Commission to grant Ukraine the loan Orbán had agreed to in December, only to back down, sparking outrage among other European leaders.

Under Orbán, Hungary, which borders Ukraine, has opposed Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy and has often acted to undermine Brussels’ delivery of military and financial aid to Kiev.

After Magyar’s victory, Zelenskyy stated that his country is ready for “meetings and constructive joint work for the benefit of both nations, as well as the peace, security and stability of Europe.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that Russia respects the results of the Hungarian elections and hopes to maintain contact with the country’s new leadership. He added that, “As for the measures the new Hungarian leadership will take, we probably need to be patient and see what happens.”

Magyar said he received, on Sunday night — even before announcing his victory — calls from French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who, like Zelenskyy, was also targeted by Orbán during the election campaign.

“Today, Europe is Hungarian”, Von der Leyen said at a press conference in Brussels this Monday. “The people of Hungary expressed themselves and resumed their European path.”

Reforms and rule of law

Magyar promised to restore democratic institutions, reintegrate Hungary into the European legal system and propose reforms to the Constitution, following a series of controversial measures adopted by Orbán’s government.

“We will have many tasks […] the first will be to adopt functional measures, start Hungary’s accession to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office […] amend the Basic Law (Constitution) so that it is enshrined that, in the future, in Hungary, any person will only be able to serve as prime minister for two terms, that is, eight years.”

“We will do everything to restore the rule of law, pluralistic democracy and the system of checks and balances,” he said. “I want to assure you that we will not resort to undemocratic measures to restore the rule of law.”

“The function of a government is to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and investigative authorities, providing all financial and other resources necessary to carry out their functions,” he added.

Defeat for the European far right

Orbán’s defeat had repercussions around the world, including the United States, where President Donald Trump supported Orbán’s re-election bid and even sent Vice President JD Vance to Budapest to campaign for the far right.

Orbán’s populist allies in the EU, the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, and Slovakia, Robert Fico, congratulated Magyar, while also praising the defeated leader at the polls. Both promised to collaborate with Hungary’s new government.