Published on •Updated
Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar will visit German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, in his second major European diplomatic tour since taking office.
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Magyar, who swept to power in early May after a landslide election victory over Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, has made restoring Hungary’s standing within the European mainstream the centrepiece of his foreign policy agenda, following years of tensions between Budapest and EU institutions.
Magyar, who visited Warsaw and Vienna two weeks ago, will be received by Merz at noon, with a joint press conference scheduled for 1pm, a statement from the German Chancellor’s Office said.
“During their subsequent talks, bilateral and European matters will be discussed, with continued support for Ukraine and Euro-Atlantic security also taking centre stage,” the statement said. Details of the Paris meeting have not yet been disclosed.
The visits come days after Magyar secured a political agreement with the European Commission to unfreeze €16.4 billion in EU funds that had been blocked over concerns about corruption and the erosion of the rule of law.
Of that total, €10 billion drawn from the EU’s post-Covid recovery facility will be forfeited unless Hungary meets all outstanding conditions by the end of August.
Disbursement also requires the approval of all EU member states. Speaking in Brussels last week, Magyar said he was in talks with several national leaders to secure their backing.
The EU also expects Hungary to lift its veto on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Magyar has promised to green-light the process once Ukraine guarantees the educational and language rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
