The European Union has entered a phase of political readjustment with Hungary following the electoral victory of Péter Magyar, who has initiated contacts with community institutions to unblock European funds suspended in recent years under the mandate of Viktor Orbán.
The future Hungarian prime minister met this Wednesday in Brussels with the President of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, in a meeting that both parties have described as constructive and aimed at re-channeling the relationship between Budapest and the EU.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has described the exchange as "very good" and has underlined that she will support the efforts of the new Hungarian Executive to correct the deficiencies that keep European funds frozen. For his part, Magyar has described the meeting as "highly constructive and productive".
17 billion blocked
At the center of the conflict persists Brussels' decision to keep 17 billion euros in EU funds allocated to Hungary frozen. The measure responds to the Commission's concerns about the deterioration of the rule of law, judicial independence, and possible risks of "corruption" during the mandate of Viktor Orbán.
The EU's conditionality mechanism allows funds to be withheld when there are doubts about compliance with the bloc's fundamental values.
But Wednesday's meeting points to steps in another direction. Magyar has assured through a message written on his official profile on the social network X that "EU funds will soon begin to arrive in Hungary", which will allow the country to "boost" its economy so that it "works" and is "human".
"I would like to reassure everyone that the European Union is not imposing any conditions that are contrary to Hungary's national interests," he stressed. Magyar announced on Monday, when he confirmed this trip, that the meeting with Ursula von der Leyen would be informal, although he stressed that both sides had "no time to lose."
A relationship under review after the change of government
Magyar will return to Brussels the week of May 25, according to what he conveyed in the aforementioned message, to put an end to a political agreement that he describes as "necessary" for Hungary to receive funds "to which they are entitled".
Úrsula von der Leyen has assured for her part that the European Commission will support Magyar's work to "realign" with European values that, she says, are "shared". "Our teams will continue to work closely together; For a prosperous Hungary at the heart of our shared European home," she concluded through a message on X.
The rapprochement between both parties occurs after a previous meeting between community delegations and the Magyar team in Budapest on April 19, when the leader already expressed his commitment to the conditions demanded by Brussels.
The Commission, for its part, maintains a clear position: any unlocking of funds will be conditioned on structural reforms that guarantee respect for the Union's democratic principles.