Incoming Hungarian leader Peter Magyar vowed on Wednesday that frozen EU funds would soon start flowing to Budapest after holding talks with senior officials on his first visit to Brussels since defeating Viktor Orban.
Conservative Magyar flew to the heart of the European Union before taking office next month, a clear sign of his intention to end the discord that characterized Orban’s 16-year rule.
He said he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed at a “highly constructive” meeting at the end of May on how to release the funds.
“One sentence: EU funds will soon start arriving in Hungary, allowing us to kick-start the Hungarian economy,” Magyar said in an online post.
Magyar is eager to show that his commitment to rebuilding ties can bring immediate benefits. He hopes to persuade Brussels to release some 18 billion euros frozen over rule of law and corruption problems under Orban.
The clock is ticking: the incoming government must start pushing for reforms before the end of August in order to secure the remaining 10 billion euros in the Covid Recovery Fund, or lose them forever.
Von der Leyen praised her “very good exchange” with Magyar and said they had discussed “the necessary steps to unlock EU funds.”
“The European Commission will support your work to address these issues and realign Europe’s common values,” she wrote online.
This optimism was echoed by European Council President Antonio Costa, who also met with Magyar.
“The EU faces many challenges, but when we come together, Europe can always make a difference,” Costa wrote.
– Hungary “rejoins” the EU –
EU officials hope Magyar can move forward quickly with reforms after winning an absolute majority in parliament, which would make it easier to force laws through.
The speed of Magyar’s involvement has raised expectations in Brussels after the blockades and rows of the Orban era.
“We have never seen this level of commitment from a government that has not yet taken office,” EU lawmaker Daniel Freund told AFP.
“It’s actually like Hungary is rejoining the EU.”
Officials said another way for Brussels to secure an early victory for Magyar could be to release 16 billion euros of concessional defense loans separately, which have been put on hold as the standoff with Orban worsened ahead of Hungary’s election.
But some warn that demonstrating real change is taking place in Budapest will require concrete actions, not just warm words.
“So far, it will be a wait and see,” said an EU diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But given all the good things he’s said and done, that could change.”
– A “new chapter” with Ukraine? –
While Brussels is finalizing the reforms it wants with Magyar, the leader is also pushing for a new approach to Ukraine after Orban blocked significant EU support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion.
Hungary’s incoming prime minister struck positive terms on Tuesday, saying he aimed to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in June to “open a new chapter.”
Even before Magyar came to power, Orbán’s defeat had helped resolve some of the major points of contention.
The 27-nation bloc last week approved a huge loan to Ukraine and a new package of sanctions on Russia, which Hungary has delayed for months.
Hungary’s European counterparts now want to see Magyar release EU funds used to arm Ukraine, which have been stagnant for years. They expect him to lift Orban’s veto and block Kyiv’s next step into the EU.
Officials insist that Ukraine should make progress in the painstaking process, despite the lack of interest from major EU powers in pushing Kyiv to become a full member soon.
Bullsdell
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
