TBILISI, April 30 – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Hungary’s incoming prime minister Peter Magyar in Brussels on Wednesday, in a sign of a possible reset in relations.
Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, is set to become Hungary’s next prime minister after his party won the country’s election earlier this month.
Von der Leyen said after the meeting that the two discussed how Hungary can unlock EU funds that have been frozen over corruption and rule of law concerns.
“We discussed the steps necessary to unlock EU funds earmarked for Hungary, that are frozen due to corruption and rule of law concerns,” she wrote on X.
She said the European Commission would support Magyar’s work to address those issues and “realign with shared European values.”
“Our teams will continue to work closely together. For a prosperous Hungary at the heart of our shared European home,” von der Leyen wrote.
The meeting is being closely watched beyond Hungary, including in Georgia, where both the government and the opposition have tried to draw lessons from Magyar’s election victory.
Georgia’s opposition has presented the Hungarian result as proof that a powerful ruling party can be defeated through elections, even in difficult conditions. Members of the ruling Georgian Dream party have pointed to the same vote as an example of normal democratic change through the ballot box, while accusing Georgia’s opposition of refusing to accept its own defeat in the 2024 parliamentary election.
Viktor Orban, who held government power in Hungary for sixteen years, was one of the friendliest EU governments toward Georgia’s ruling party. After Magyar’s victory, Georgian Dream officials said they hoped relations with Budapest would remain strong under the new government.
The European Commission president said the talks focused on practical steps to deal with corruption and rule of law concerns, rather than only political symbolism. Von der Leyen’s comments suggest that Brussels sees a chance to repair relations with Hungary and move the country back toward the EU mainstream.
