Magyar follows in Orbán's footsteps — block for Ukraine?

Orbán’s rhetoric toward Kyiv and Brussels grew increasingly harsh ahead of the April elections, and allies feared he would further block aid to Ukraine or impose broader sanctions against Russia. Since taking office, Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, appeared ready to normalize bilateral relations with Ukraine. However, it seems he does not differ from his predecessor on every issue and position.

Like Orbán, Magyar stressed that the Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region “does not have basic rights” and complained that their linguistic and cultural freedoms are restricted. According to The Kyiv Independent, the Hungarian leader hinted that he could block the launch of formal negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union until the issue is resolved, potentially halting a process Kyiv tried to revive after Orbán’s departure.

According to Magyar, the Hungarian minority in Ukraine must enjoy linguistic, cultural, and other rights equal to those enjoyed by other minorities within the EU. However, he has remained publicly vague about the specific changes Ukraine should adopt. Although Kyiv and Budapest have continued talks on minority rights, they have kept the details away from the public eye.

“We presented our position in 11 points,” Magyar said. The Kyiv Independent reports that the demands allegedly mirror those advocated by Orbán’s government. Most of the points, first submitted to Ukraine in January 2024, concerned the educational rights of the Hungarian minority. Nine of the 11 points have reportedly been agreed upon, while the remaining issues concern parliamentary representation and cultural autonomy.

Without Hungary, Kyiv cannot launch formal negotiations on joining the European Union. But while Magyar appears to be continuing Orbán’s policy toward the Hungarian minority, there are key differences between them.

Like his predecessor, Magyar presents himself as a defender of the Hungarian nation, but the difference is that Orbán was not interested in resolving the issue of Hungarians in Zakarpattia, only in antagonizing Kyiv for domestic political reasons, according to Tomáš Lafitte of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics.

According to Lafitte, the reunification of Hungarian minorities abroad with their homeland through EU enlargement is also a long-term goal of Hungarian diplomacy.

“The key difference is that the Hungarian government is genuinely interested in finding a solution.”