The accelerated pace of talks to unlock EU funding comes as Tisza’s defeat of long-time Hungarian leader Victor Orbán has already led to a major breakthrough in EU-Hungary relations. Brussels on Thursday formally approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine after Budapest — long a holdout under Orbán — dropped its objections, clearing a key political hurdle for Magyar as he seeks to revamp ties with the bloc.
In the earlier talks in Budapest April 18-19, Magyar and his incoming team met with von der Leyen’s chief of staff Björn Seibert and senior officials to map out a path toward releasing funds frozen over rule-of-law and corruption concerns. “This necessary work will continue,” the Commission said in a statement.
Time is tight for the incoming Tisza-led government. Hungary risks losing around €10 billion in post-pandemic recovery funds if it fails to meet an August deadline, while roughly €18 billion remains frozen over democratic backsliding under Orbán. Magyar is also seeking access to additional EU defense financing and relief from daily fines imposed over migration disputes.
Brussels is looking for more than a one-off reset. Officials want Hungary to stay aligned on Ukraine, including backing future sanctions on Russia and dropping its resistance to Kyiv’s EU accession path, while also showing progress on rule-of-law concerns that froze the funds.
“I can say that it is extremely important to bring [the money] home, and as quickly as possible,” Magyar stressed on April 13.