Laszlo Bruszt, Global Forum Program Director and CEU Professor Emeritus, spoke with Ukrainian news portal Euromaidan Press about what a Tisza government may mean for Ukraine.
The article reviews what has been known about Peter Magyar’s approach to Ukraine.
Regarding Ukraine’s EU membership, Laszlo Bruszt expects “a pragmatic approach, like most of the other EU member states.” According to him, Magyar will not continue to serve the interests of Russia. The article recalls that in February 2026, Magyar’s party Tisza MEPs voted against the €90 billion EU loan, aligning with Orban. Laszlo Bruszt argues this reflects opposition campaign constraints, not governing philosophy: as an EPP member, Magyar “will not continue this politics of Orbán, which was done primarily to show his loyalty to Trump and to Moscow.” The key is a redefined sovereignty—one that treats a functioning EU as a Hungarian national interest rather than a constraint on it.
In any case, the immediate priority for Magyar will not be Ukraine, according to the article but the Hungary’s domestic economy: “[Magyar] has to start with crisis management, because the economy is in a very bad situation,” Laszlo Bruszt is cited as saing. A solvent Budapest, drawing down frozen EU funds, is less susceptible to the argument that supporting Ukraine costs money Hungary doesn’t have.
Read article here.
Photo: © European Union 2024 – Alain Rolland