Von der Leyen to meet Hungarian PM Magyar in Brussels on Friday

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar on Friday. The confirmation came after days of silence from Brussels, following Hungary's foreign minister's announcement of the meeting last week.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar in Brussels on Friday, confirming what Hungary's foreign minister had announced publicly days earlier.

The meeting had been shrouded in uncertainty after Brussels remained silent for several days following the announcement by Hungary's foreign minister. The confirmation marks a notable moment in EU-Hungary relations, as Magyar leads a rising opposition movement that has challenged Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's long-standing grip on Hungarian politics.

Magyar, who founded the Tisza party and has rapidly gained popularity in Hungary, has positioned himself as a pro-European alternative to the Orbán government. His party made significant gains in the 2024 European Parliament elections, signalling a shift in Hungary's political landscape.

The meeting with von der Leyen is seen as a symbolic gesture of European support for pro-EU voices within Hungary, a country whose government has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over rule of law, democratic backsliding, and its stance toward Russia and the war in Ukraine.