Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar agreed with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the incoming Hungarian government and Brussels will conclude a political agreement by late May aimed at unlocking the EU funds currently frozen for Hungary.

Magyar travelled to Brussels on Wednesday, 29 April, where he held what he described as a ‘highly constructive and productive meeting’ with von der Leyen regarding the multi-billion-euro funding withheld since December 2022 under the EU’s rule-of-law conditionality mechanism. The European Commission established 27 so-called ‘super milestones’ Hungary must fulfil in order to access the funds.

These conditions cover a broad range of structural reforms, including anti-corruption measures, public procurement transparency, judicial independence, and wider fundamental rights guarantees. Crucially, no payment can be made until all 27 milestones are fully implemented, making them the central benchmark in negotiations between Budapest and Brussels.

I had a highly constructive and productive meeting with the President of the European Commission.

We agreed that, as Prime Minister of Hungary, I will return to Brussels in the week of 25 May to conclude the political agreement necessary for Hungary and the Hungarian people to… pic.twitter.com/7J7nThrUeQ

— Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) April 29, 2026

Speaking at his first international press conference as prime minister-elect on 13 April, Magyar outlined a four-point reform package which he believes could unlock at least part of the funding. ‘These are anti-corruption measures, including joining the European Public Prosecutor’s Office,’ Magyar said, referring to the EU prosecutorial body that Hungary—alongside Ireland and Denmark—has so far refused to join. ‘The second is to restore the independence of the judiciary and investigative authorities, the third is to ensure freedom of the press, and the fourth is to liberate Hungarian universities and academic freedom,’ he added.

As Hungarian Conservative previously reported, the incoming prime minister’s proposals address around 70 per cent of the Commission’s conditions, while the remaining 30 per cent concern politically and ideologically more sensitive issues, primarily migration policy and LGBTQ rights.

Speaking on Wednesday, Magyar stressed that the Commission is ‘not imposing any conditions that would be contrary to Hungary’s national interests.’ The outgoing Orbán government, by contrast, argued that implementing several of the milestones would amount to surrendering Hungarian sovereignty.

‘EU funds will soon start arriving in Hungary, enabling us to kick-start the Hungarian economy and deliver what is needed for a functioning and humane country,’ Magyar concluded.

In a post on X, von der Leyen also praised the meeting, stating that the Commission would support Magyar’s efforts to address corruption and rule-of-law concerns and to ‘realign with shared European values’.

A very good exchange with @magyarpeterMP in Brussels today.

We discussed the steps necessary to unlock EU funds earmarked for Hungary, that are frozen due to corruption and rule of law concerns.@EU_Commission will support your work to address these issues and realign with… pic.twitter.com/WKfcnbZjlI

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 29, 2026

According to POLITICO Brussels, the ‘political agreement’ expected at the end of May would involve a completely new national recovery plan replacing the Orbán-era proposals submitted in 2021. Approximately €10 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) could be permanently lost after 31 August if the required milestones are not implemented in time.

According to the outlet, Magyar intends to prioritize reforms and targets that can realistically be completed before the deadline, while ‘parking slower constitutional changes’ that Tisza promised to discuss more broadly with stakeholders. His team has reportedly also been cooperating with ministers and civil servants from the outgoing Orbán administration on the technical aspects of implementing the reforms, according to three officials cited by POLITICO Brussels.

The incoming Tisza government is also seeking a broader reset in relations with Brussels, including relief from the daily fines imposed under a ruling of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) regarding Hungary’s migration policy. Magyar said he intends to keep the southern border fence in place and even strengthen border protection, while resolving what he described as primarily technical, legal, and administrative disputes that currently cost Hungary €1 million per day.

‘His team has…also been cooperating with ministers and civil servants from the outgoing Orbán administration’

Just days after the election, the CJEU ruled that Hungary’s 2021 child protection law—which prohibits the promotion of homosexuality, LGBTQ-related, and gender-themed content in media accessible to minors—violates EU law, increasing pressure on the incoming government to take a clear position on an issue Magyar largely avoided during the campaign.

Tisza’s voter base is highly heterogeneous, consisting of urban liberal–progressive voters, conservatives, and many former Fidesz supporters, making culture-war issues politically sensitive for the party.

Speaking on 13 April, Magyar addressed LGBTQ issues briefly, stating that ‘Hungary should be a country where no one is stigmatized for loving someone differently than the majority.’ Together with the profiles of some of the incoming officials, these remarks suggest a more progressive approach to such issues than that of the outgoing Orbán government, potentially making them one of the areas where Tisza could offer concessions in order to secure EU funding.

Magyar is expected to be sworn in on 9 May, formally beginning his premiership.

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