Hungary set for new Ukraine policy, says new foreign minister
Photo: Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán (Getty Images)
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said the new government would change its policy toward the EU, but would continue to defend the interests of Hungarians in Ukraine, reports Bloomberg.
During parliamentary hearings on her appointment, Hungary’s foreign minister acknowledged that the previous government had often blocked European Union decisions not because of principle, but for political reasons.
“Too often Hungary has been a problem in Europe’s decision-making. We used the veto not as a last resort but for political theater,” Orbán said.
The media clarified that the new foreign minister has no family ties to former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose government repeatedly clashed with Brussels over blocking joint EU decisions.
According to the foreign minister, one of the top priorities of the new Prime Minister Péter Magyar will be restoring access to European Union funding. This is about tens of billions of euros that were frozen due to EU concerns over the rule of law situation in Hungary.
Restoring EU funds was one of the main promises of the Tisza party during the election campaign.
She also said the new government plans to strengthen the independence of the judicial system and tighten oversight of public spending in order to meet Brussels’ requirements and secure the restoration of funding.
Despite statements about changing policy toward the European Union, Budapest does not plan to radically revise its position on Ukraine.
The head of Hungary’s foreign ministry stressed that Hungary would support Ukraine’s further integration into the EU only as a matter of “strict national interest.”
The new government will continue demanding additional rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
Hungary’s stance on Ukraine
The position of Hungary’s new government on Ukraine remains tough even after the change of power in the country. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who officially took office after the Tisza party’s election victory, had previously called for expanding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia.
According to Magyar, Hungary is ready to support the start of Ukraine’s EU accession talks only if demands regarding the rights of the Hungarian community are met.
Media outlets reported that the issue was discussed during a meeting between the Hungarian prime minister and António Costa in Brussels.
Péter Magyar backed the list of 11 demands that Viktor Orbán’s government submitted to Kyiv back in 2024. A significant part of those points concerns the language rights of the Hungarian minority and the possibility of education in the Hungarian language.
At the end of April, Magyar also met with Berehove Mayor Zoltán Babják. The sides discussed support for the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia and prospects for restoring constructive relations between Kyiv and Budapest.
Babják said there is no discrimination against the Hungarian national minority in Zakarpattia.
Péter Magyar proposed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hold a meeting in Berehove in June to separately discuss issues concerning the Hungarian community and Ukrainian-Hungarian relations.
