Hungary’s new PM to meet von der Leyen

Written by journalist Danylo Aleksandrov

On Wednesday, Péter Magyar, the new Hungarian prime minister, will meet with Ursula von der Leyen – President of the European Commission – as his country seeks EU funding.

It is expected that Péter Magyar will meet with Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, to discuss the EU funds which were to be given to Hungary but frozen because of previous Hungarian PM Victor Orbán’s actions. Another meeting planned by Magyar is the one with President of the EU Council António Costa.

Magyar stated earlier that he plans to visit the informal capital of the EU after swearing in as prime-minister of Hungary (which is to happen on 9th of May), as well as visiting Warsaw and Vienna. The question of frozen funding remains important for Hungary, and talks on various levels have already started, with both sides willing to resolve the situation.

The money from EU was put on hold after the previous leader of Hungary – Victor Orbán – repeatedly blocked a number of EU decisions, such as allocation of new funding to Ukraine, as well as worsened the freedom of speech and rule of law in his own country. This led to tension in Hungarian – EU relations. Currently, around €10 billion are on hold.

A positive outcome to these talks is expected, as on of Magyar’s goals is to restart the relations with EU. The same sentiment is present in Brussels, where European politicians express their hope for a new and friendly chapter in bilateral relations after the challenges posed by Magyar’s predecessor