The clock is ticking: The next government has until the end of August to make reforms to try to secure the remaining Covid recovery funds, or lose them forever.
BRUSSELS (AFP) — Hungary’s incoming leader Peter Magyar met EU leaders on Wednesday in his first visit to Brussels since his election victory, seeking to turn the page on the bad blood of nationalist Viktor Orban’s tenure.
European Union leaders celebrated his victory this month, which ended Kremlin-friendly Orbán’s 16 years in power, and before taking office, Magyar has sought to usher in a new era of cooperation with Brussels that he hopes will unlock billions of euros for Budapest.
Magyar said in a video posted online that he was “very optimistic and hopeful” ahead of talks with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. He hoped to agree a deal by the end of May on how to release around 10 billion euros in frozen Covid recovery funds, he added.
While the 45-year-old will only become prime minister next month, his team has already held two rounds of negotiations with senior EU officials as they seek to bring Budapest back into the fold.
“The talks are going very well so far and there is a clear sense of constructiveness on the part of both the European institutions and the member states,” Magyar said. Now “political decisions” were needed, he added.
Magyar is desperate to show that his promise to restore ties can bring quick benefits. He wants to persuade Brussels to release about 18 billion euros ($21 billion) in funds frozen because of concerns about the rule of law under Orban.
The clock is ticking: The incoming government has until the end of August to start pushing through reforms to try to secure the remaining €10 billion in Covid recovery funds, or lose them forever.
Hungary ‘rejoins’ the EU
EU officials hope Magyar will be able to move quickly after securing a supermajority in Parliament that will make it easier to override the laws.
The speed with which Magyar has engaged after the gridlock and strife of the Orbán era has raised expectations in Brussels.
“We have never seen such a level of commitment from a government that is not yet in office,” EU lawmaker Daniel Freund, a fierce critic of Orban, told AFP. “It’s practically like Hungary is joining the European Union.”
Officials say another way for Brussels to give Magyar an early victory could be to distribute a special credit of 16 billion euros in preferential defense loans, which were frozen after the standoff with Orban worsened before the Hungarian election.
But some warn that it will be concrete actions and not just warm words that prove that real change is happening in Budapest.
“So far, wait and see,” said one EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But that could change, given all the good things he says and does.”
The ‘new chapter’ with Ukraine?
While Brussels is pushing through the reforms it wants with Magyar, leaders are also pushing for a new approach to Ukraine after Orban stalled a raft of EU support for the country as it fights Russian aggression.
Hungary’s incoming prime minister struck a positive note on Tuesday, saying he intended to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in June to “open a new chapter”.
Even before Magyar takes power, Orban’s defeat has already helped unblock some of the key points of contention.
The 27-nation bloc last week approved a major loan to Ukraine and a new package of sanctions against Russia that Hungary had stalled for months.
Hungary’s European counterparts now want to see Magyar release EU funds used to arm Ukraine, which have been stalled for years. They expect him to override Orban’s veto, preventing Kiev from taking the next step in its bid to join the bloc.
Officials insist Ukraine deserves to move forward in the arduous process, although there is little appetite among the EU’s major powers to rush Kiev toward full membership anytime soon.
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By Camille CAMDESSUS and MAX DELANY, Agence France-Presse
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