Hungarian Prime Minister P\u00e9ter Magyar met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Wednesday during his first official foreign trip since taking office, in a visit both governments framed as the beginning of a new chapter in Polish\u2013Hungarian relations following years of tensions under Viktor Orb\u00e1n.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a joint press conference in Warsaw, Tusk praised Magyar\u2019s election victory and drew parallels between recent political developments in Hungary and Poland, arguing that both countries had demonstrated that \u2018the free world had to prevail.\u2019 Tusk said Hungary\u2019s recent political transformation resembled Poland\u2019s own 2023 election, when his coalition returned to power after eight years of Law and Justice (PiS) rule.<\/p>\n
\u2018You are among friends here,\u2019 Tusk told Magyar, praising the Hungarian prime minister\u2019s \u2018fighting spirit\u2019. The Polish premier also declared that Warsaw and Budapest would once again cooperate closely within the European Union and regional formats such as the Visegr\u00e1d Group (V4).<\/p>\n
J\u00f3 l\u00e1tni t\u00e9ged, P\u00e9ter. Tizenhat \u00e9v ut\u00e1n \u00faj fejezetet nyitunk a lengyel-magyar kapcsolatokban \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf1\u2764\ufe0f\ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddfa pic.twitter.com\/pI4Wz8m5OV<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) May 20, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Relations between Poland and Hungary deteriorated significantly during Orb\u00e1n\u2019s final years in office, largely because of disagreements over Russia and the war in Ukraine. While Budapest pursued a more cautious and pragmatic approach towards Moscow, Poland became one of Kyiv\u2019s strongest supporters within NATO and the European Union. <\/p>\n Diplomatic tensions escalated further after the Orb\u00e1n government granted political asylum<\/a> to former Polish government officials facing criminal investigations in Poland. Budapest argued that the two PiS politicians could not expect a fair trial under the Tusk administration and therefore considered them political refugees.<\/p>\n Tusk said those disputes had damaged bilateral relations, although he emphasized that the tensions had been political rather than societal in nature. \u2018Our interests are now fully aligned,\u2019 he stated, adding that Poland and Hungary would once again appear in Brussels \u2018holding hands\u2019.<\/p>\n Magyar, who began his Polish visit in Krak\u00f3w on Tuesday before travelling to Warsaw, emphasized the historical depth of Polish\u2013Hungarian friendship, referencing shared historical figures such as King Saint Ladislaus, Queen Jadwiga, and Transylvanian prince and Polish king Stephen B\u00e1thory.<\/p>\n The Hungarian prime minister said it was no coincidence that Poland had been chosen for his first foreign trip. According to Magyar, rebuilding Central European cooperation would be one of the key priorities of his government.<\/p>\n Magyar also announced plans to revive and potentially expand the Visegr\u00e1d Group beyond Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. He proposed closer cooperation with the Nordic countries, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, and the Western Balkans, arguing that \u2018Europe\u2019s heart today beats in Central Europe.\u2019<\/p>\n He further invited Tusk, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babi\u0161 to a V4 summit in Budapest before the end of June.<\/p>\n Sajt\u00f3t\u00e1j\u00e9koztat\u00f3 Donald Tuskkal, a lengyel minisztereln\u00f6kkel https:\/\/t.co\/fx5LWp9Om8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Magyar P\u00e9ter (Ne f\u00e9ljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) May 20, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Energy cooperation featured prominently during the talks. Tusk reiterated that Poland had fully eliminated its dependence on Russian oil and gas and offered assistance to Hungary in diversifying its energy supplies. Reuters reported that discussions also covered potential future access to LNG infrastructure<\/a> connected to Poland\u2019s planned Gda\u0144sk terminal.<\/p>\n Ukraine was another key topic during the meeting. Magyar reiterated his support for Ukraine\u2019s territorial integrity while also calling for an immediate ceasefire and a lasting peace agreement. He confirmed that technical talks had already begun regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority<\/a> in Transcarpathia, which Budapest considers a key condition for supporting Ukraine\u2019s future EU accession.<\/p>\n The Hungarian prime minister also announced that he is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/a> in Berehove in early June.<\/p>\n Magyar\u2019s visit has been widely interpreted as a symbolic break with Orb\u00e1n-era foreign policy<\/a> and as an attempt to reposition Hungary closer to the European mainstream.<\/p>\n Related articles:<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t