Hungary

Europe News

Hungary's Magyar pushes back on pension and tax reforms at EU talks

Péter Magyar is pushing back against EU demands for pension and tax reforms, complicating attempts to release €17 billion in frozen funding before the August deadline. However, a breakthrough on the issue of the Erasmus+ educational programme is within reach.

22/05/2026

Europe News

Hungary's Magyar seeks EU funds deal 'next week' in Brussels

Péter Magyar said he hopes to reach an agreement with the European Commission next week to unlock €10.4bn in recovery funds that were frozen under the previous government of Viktor Orbán, as an August deadline nears.

19/05/2026

Europe News

Magyar signals openness to Ukraine accession talks after Orbán exit

Hungary's new government says it is open to engaging with Ukraine on its accession to the EU, according to several sources. Meanwhile, a technical dialogue with Kyiv has been announced on the thorny issue of Hungarian minorities. Brussels looks for a breakthrough.

18/05/2026

Europe News

Hungary's Orbán-era state of emergency ended, PM Magyar says

The emergency governance framework was first introduced by the government of previous Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in 2020 as part of measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

14/05/2026

Europe News

Magyar set to outline EU funding red lines in a letter

Hungary's new PM Péter Magyar outlined how his government plans to spend EU funds, but said he will not phase out the controversial windfall taxes that Brussels has made a condition of their release.

13/05/2026

Europe News

EU mulls ways to cash payments for Hungary, sends team to Budapest

The European Commission looks for options to disburse Hungarian cash, including through the country's investment bank, as it seeks to accelerate talks. A team of senior officials will be dispatched to Budapest next week.

13/05/2026

No Comment

Hungary’s next health minister Zsolt Hegedűs dances at Magyar celebration

Large crowds gathered outside the Hungarian parliament building to celebrate the official inauguration of Peter Magyar as prime minister. Attendees included incoming Health Minister Zsolt Hegedus, who went viral for his dancing on the night of the country's April election.

10/05/2026

Europe News

Péter Magyar sworn-in as Hungary's new prime minister

Péter Magyar called for those who occupy high office, described as remnants of the Orbán regime, to vacate their posts by the 31st of May. The order was extended to specifically include the country's President Tamás Sulyok.

09/05/2026

Hungary

Péter Magyar's first cabinet crisis: the brother-in-law who had to go

Melléthei-Barna is a lawyer and a university peer of Hungary's next prime minister. He was one of the founding 10 members of the Tisza Party when it was formed in 2020 and served as the party's legal director.

08/05/2026

Destinations

2026 Champions League final: A Budapest football travel guide

Hungary’s capital will welcome thousands of PSG and Arsenal fans for European football’s showpiece fixture on 30 May.

07/05/2026

Europe News

Péter Magyar defends appointing brother-in-law as justice minister

Magyar campaigned on a promise to clean-up Hungarian politics and restore the checks and balances which had been gradually eroded by previous Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during his 16 years in power.

01/05/2026

Europe News

Hungary's PM-elect Magyar offers to meet Ukraine's Zelenskyy in June

Relations between the two neighbours hit rock bottom before Hungary's 12 April election that saw Magyar beat long-time nationalist premier Viktor Orbán.

28/04/2026

The Cube

Winning Hungary's election hasn't stopped false claims about Magyar

Misleading posts misrepresent the Hungarian prime minister-elect by using old clips out of context.

23/04/2026

Europe News

Son of Hungary's outgoing prime minister discharged from military

Orbán was sworn into the Hungarian Defence Forces in 2019 and in 2020 was sent on a nine-month training course at the elite Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK.

22/04/2026

Europe News

Exclusive: Hungary's new government to review €16bn EU defence plan

Péter Magyar's team is reassessing Hungary's €16 billion SAFE defence plan submitted by the defeated Orbán government, citing corruption risks. The European Commission is open to engaging with the new administration.

22/04/2026

Europe News

EU Court rules Hungary's anti LGBTQ+ law breaches core values

The European Court of Justice rules that Hungary's 2021 Child Protection Law unlawfully discriminates against LGBTQ+ community; the first time a member state has been found in violation of EU fundamental values charter.

21/04/2026

Hungary

'If Druzhba is operational, Zelenskyy should open it,' Magyar says

"He should not go down that street," incoming Hungarian PM Péter Magyar said when asked about new potential Ukrainian demands to reopen the Druzhba pipeline. Brussels ready for Hungary to lift veto if oil flows resume.

20/04/2026

Europe News

EU and Magyar agreed to work together for EU cash after talks

Ursula von der Leyen's right-hand man sent to Budapest to begin work for the release of €10 billion as Magyar races to unfreeze the cash in exchange of reforms. According to sources involved in the negotiations, the release of funds is not connected to Ukraine.

19/04/2026

Europe News

Oil via Druzhba pipe to Hungary could resume next week, Magyar says

The pipeline, which delivers Russian oil to Hungary via Ukraine, has been a source of contention between Budapest and Kyiv after flows were stopped when it sustained damage in a drone strike.

17/04/2026

Europe News

Where is Szijjártó? Diplomat skips EU meeting, gone from public view

Szijjártó will miss next week's EU Foreign Affairs Council after the Orbán government's election loss. He faces accusations of sharing classified information with Russia and destroying sensitive documents.

16/04/2026

Europe News

Péter Magyar says new government could take power at beginning of May

Magyar has called on Orbán's government to act as a caretaker in its final weeks and not to make any decisions that could threaten Hungary's interests or impede the incoming government's work.

15/04/2026

Economy

Can Hungary's new government fix an economy in crisis?

Investors are optimistic about the new government's expected economic policies, but an energy crisis and a scramble for EU funds could slow its immediate success.

15/04/2026

Europe News

Magyar vows to shut down Hungarian state TV akin to 'North Korea'

Magyar has threatened to suspend the state broadcaster following a heated on-air clash, accusing it of spreading “North Korean-style” propaganda and false claims about his family during the election campaign.

15/04/2026

Europe News

Magyar presses for swift power transfer and vows to unlock EU funds

Hungarian PM-elect Péter Magyar on Monday urged parliament to convene quickly to form a new government, aiming for a 5 May handover, and outlined priorities including EU funds, the eurozone, Ukraine, Russia, and migration. Here are some key takeaways from his press conference.

13/04/2026

Hungary

Magyar upholds Ukraine's integrity in first speech after election win

Outgoing PM Viktor Orbán had largely centred his electoral campaign on Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, blaming Kyiv for the Druzhba pipeline blockade to accusations of meddling in Hungarian elections. Will things change with Magyar in power?

13/04/2026

Tech News

How disinformation affected Hungary's tightly fought election

Disinformation analysts identified new tactics ahead of last weekend's polls, including fabricated news stories tailored to propaganda narratives, private Facebook groups used to spread party messaging and signs of Russian interference.

13/04/2026