He noted that Prime Minister Viktor Orban was granted an "opt-out" on this matter at the European Council meeting in December, in a decision exempting Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic from the 90 billion euro loan facility. Magyar said he would consult with European leaders to determine why the decision on this matter needed to be reversed.

"Personally, I agree that Hungary should be excluded from this," he said, adding that Hungary was in a very difficult financial situation, and his task now is to secure the EU funds that it has not received. 

"We simply cannot afford to take on any more loans right now; Hungary's national debt has already tripled since 2010," he said.

Further, he said he did not support Ukraine's fast-tracked EU accession. "It is completely out of the question for the EU to admit a country at war," he argued, adding that the vast majority of member states did not consider this a plausible scenario and shared his view that all candidate countries must go through the same procedure.

He also indicated that if the necessary accession chapters were fully negotiated, there would be a referendum in Hungary on Ukraine's EU membership, and this "will not happen in the next ten years".

Election 2026 - Sybiha: Ukraine ready to build good neighbourly ties with Hungary

Ukraine is waiting to be contacted by Hungary's new leadership and is ready to start building good neighbourly relations "to protect ethnic minorities and to apply the highest European norms," Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, told journalists on Monday.

Hungary's elections on Sunday yielded "the correct, European results", opening new opportunities and facilitating "the opening of a new, good neighbourly era in the shared history of the two countries," Sybiha said.

"Our peoples deserve such relations. We are open," he said, noting that Ukraine has signalled its readiness for communication with the Hungarian leadership.

"We are ready for this dialogue now, without delay... We are waiting to be contacted ... we are waiting for the Hungarian side's response," he said.

Sybiha said Hungary and Ukraine needed to discuss "a number of complex issues ranging from cross-border infrastructure to European cooperation", including Ukraine's possible EU membership and Hungary lifting its related "blockade".

He also mentioned passage of the EU's 20th package of sanctions against Russia and the 90 billion euro financing loan for Ukraine, adding that Ukraine would also claim recovery of Ukraine's financial assets seized by Hungarian authorities on March 6.

Election 2026 - Magyar: Tisza govt will keep and repair border fence, reject any migration

Hungary takes a hardline stance on illegal migration, and rules out any migration pacts or reallocation mechanisms, Peter Magyar, the leader of the victorious Tisza Party, said on Monday, adding that the new government would keep southern border fence "and even patch up its gaps".

Concerning the daily one million euro fine imposed on Hungary, Magyar told an international press conference that other European Union member states had complied with EU rules while preventing illegal entries.

He said the new Tisza government would find a way to avoid having to keep paying the fine, noting it was "money that Hungary's budget desperately needs".

He suggested that the current government's handling of the issue may amount to a misuse of funds.

Election 2026 - Magyar: Tisza to lead govt of peace

"I want to make it clear to the Hungarian people and the world that no one in Hungary wants war. Hungary stands for peace, and the Tisza government will be a government of peace," Peter Magyar, the leader of the victorious party, told an international press conference on Monday.

Magyar condemned outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban for "threatening his own people with claims that a new government would send their children to the front".

"He sank to appalling lows to keep the stolen money and retain power," he said.

Magyar said Orban had "neglected the problems of the Hungarian people", adding that "we never heard him address issues like health care, education or the cost of living over the years." 

Instead, he said, Orban had focused on "playing five-dimensional chess" and talking about Ukraine, Russia, Iran or the US presidential election "rather than the problems of Hungarians".

"Hungarians said 'no' to this," Magyar said.

"Hungarian history is written by Hungarians, not in Moscow, not in Brussels and not in Washington," he said.

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

*********************************************************************************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: 

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary

You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters

Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop:

As an independent portal we’re grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here.