Hungary’s newly elected Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced Friday that he has begun preliminary discussions with European Union representatives in Budapest, working urgently to restore funding that was suspended during conflicts with his predecessor’s administration.
Magyar, who achieved a decisive win in the April 12 election that will conclude nationalist leader Viktor Orban’s 16-year tenure, stated he plans to begin negotiations by identifying areas where he and EU officials are already in agreement.
“I expect a constructive negotiation. It will not be easy because we have very little time,” he stated during a press briefing.
The incoming leader announced that the chief of staff to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was scheduled to arrive around 5 p.m. local time as part of a senior-level diplomatic team.
“The aim is… to map out before the new government is formed what we agree on and what are the conditions that the next parliament can pass as a law and comply with European conditions,” Magyar explained.
Magyar plans to assume the prime minister role on May 9 or 10, with the exact date depending on when the president schedules parliament’s opening session after the election.
His center-right Tisza party secured a supermajority, providing the authority to modify judicial, public procurement, and media oversight legislation that became central issues in the disputes between Orban’s administration and Brussels.
During Friday’s media briefing, he expressed optimism for reaching a political agreement during his initial trip to Brussels.
Financial markets have responded positively to Magyar’s electoral success, with investors anticipating that the EU will release billions of euros in suspended funds and provide assistance to Hungary’s nearly stagnant economy.
Magyar has previously identified four priority areas where his administration could act quickly to prevent losing approximately 10 billion euros in EU pandemic recovery assistance by the end-August deadline, including anti-corruption initiatives and restoring media and academic independence.
Von der Leyen remarked this week following her conversation with Magyar that urgent work lies ahead.
