in Brussels

For Magyar, a diplomat in Brussels during the Orbán years, the most urgent priority is to fulfil his campaign vow “to bring home” Hungary’s EU funds.

Currently, €17bn in funds for Hungary’s economic development remain frozen, over failures to meet EU standards on fighting corruption, ensuring judicial independence, as well as disputes over academic freedom and Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ law.

About €2.12bn has been lost permanently. But the clock is ticking: Hungary and the commission need to agree on the use of nearly €10bn in grants and loans by the end of August.

Any extension would require unanimous agreement by the 27 member states.

Following his call with the EU’s von der Leyen (14:36), Magyar said “the top priority” for his incoming government will be on “releasing the many billions of forints in EU funds that belong to the Hungarian people but have been frozen due to corruption in the Orbán government.”

He said his government would make “the political decisions needed” once it gets into office.

In a further sign of urgency, he added that von der Leyen told him “that results can be achieved within a tight timeframe,” so the money can start flowing “as soon as possible.”

Russian affairs correspondent

The scale of Orbán’s defeat has left Moscow with little choice but to acknowledge the loss of a key partner in Europe. “Hungary made its choice. We respect that choice,” the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

But Moscow appears to be playing down the loss of a key ally in Europe, striking a tone reminiscent of its messaging after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Then, the Kremlin moved quickly to distance itself from Assad as it sought to preserve whatever leverage it could with Syria’s new leadership.

“We were never friends with Orbán,” said Peskov, adding that Moscow remained open to dialogue and to building good, mutually beneficial relations with Budapest.

Magyar’s first public comments on Russia marked a notable break from Orbán’s rhetoric towards Russia’s full-scale invasion. For years, Orbán and Putin made no secret of their mutual admiration – and usefulness to one another – both in public and in private.

Since the start of Russia’s war in 2022, Hungary has systematically worked to blunt the EU’s response – lobbying to weaken sanctions, repeatedly blocking aid to Kyiv, and most recently vetoing an EU loan worth billions of euros that Ukraine urgently needs to withstand Russian aggression.

Russia’s loss of political capital was also felt on the streets of Budapest and beyond, where chants of “Ruszkik, haza” (Russians, go home) echoed long into the night in celebration. The slogan, rooted in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, was revived by Orbán’s critics during the campaign as a protest against his government’s close ties to Moscow.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen spoke again with Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar discussing their “immediate priorities” on the rule of law, shared values and the critical issue of accessing frozen EU funds.

In a brief statement she said:

“I just spoke again with Prime Minister-elect @magyarpeterMP.

Hungary has returned to the very heart of Europe, where it has always belonged. This is, above all, a moment for the Hungarian people. For their voice, their dignity, and their future in a safe, prosperous Hungary inside a strong Europe.

We discussed immediate priorities. There is swift work to be done to restore, realign and reform. Restore the rule of law. Realign with our shared European values. And reform, to unlock the opportunities offered by European investments.”

in Berlin

At his press conference with Zelenskyy, Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz also welcomed Péter Magyar’s decisive victory, saying it would have “implications for our support for Ukraine”.

“What the people there achieved on Sunday can certainly be described as historic,” Merz told reporters.

“More Hungarians than ever before cast their votes. By an overwhelming majority, they voted not only to oust a government, but to oust an entire system.”

Merz, whose conservative CDU is facing a stiff challenge from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party in a series of state elections this year, said the election showed that the trend toward right-wing populism and authoritarianism was “reversible”.

“The pendulum is swinging back,” he said. “This is good news for the whole of Europe, good news for Germany, and good news for Ukraine too. I very much hope that this view is shared and recognised everywhere.”

Merz said he looked forward to welcoming Magyar to Berlin soon as prime minister.

“On its way back to Europe, Hungary can count on Germany. I am saying all this because we now also want to swiftly get the EU loan for Ukraine, agreed in December, off the ground,” he said.

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy and I also discussed this. The funds for military support must now be disbursed quickly. Ukraine needs them urgently.”

During his 16 years as Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán repeatedly blocked EU support for Ukraine.

With the new incoming government, one of the most pressing questions will be how quickly Magyar lifts Budapest’s veto on a critical €90bn loan for Ukraine and its 20th round of sanctions against Russia.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the opposition win in Hungary as “the victory of light over darkness,” as he called for “pragmatic, friendly” relations with the new administration.

Speaking alongside the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy said that he hoped for “pragmatic” and “friendly” relations with the new Magyar government – in sharp contrast with hostile Orbán administration.

“I am sure we will cooperate with Hungary,” he said, expressing hope Ukraine will be able to “build our relations” with the new government based on “cooperation” and “respect for each other.”

He said that the damaged Druzhba pipeline which has been at the heart of tensions between Ukraine and Hungary in recent months will be repaired by the end of April. “Not completely, but enough to function,” he said.

Zelenskyy also briefly commented on the outcome in the Hungarian election, saying:

“The elections when the Hungarian people made their choice were on Sunday, 12 April. In Ukraine we celebrated Easter on that day, the victory of light over darkness. I think it’s very symbolic,” he said.

in Budapest

Walking around in Budapest today, it’s striking just how many of Viktor Orbán and Fidesz’s posters were ripped down during the celebrations of Magyar and Tisza’s victory on Sunday night.

One particular poster – portraying Magyar alongside Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and intended to ramp up fears of Hungary getting drawn into the war with Russia – had been absolutely everywhere before the election.

You would see them absolutely, literally, everywhere, in ridiculous numbers.

Here is the before, featuring the faces of the two leaders and the bottom part reading: “Let’s stop them. Only Fidesz.”

And here is the after:

All that is left is its top half, with the political slogans and the call to vote Fidesz torn off.

It also tells us something – on top of all sorts of chants on the election night – about just how frustrated parts of the electorate were with relentless anti-Ukrainian rhetoric of the outgoing government.

Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar is set to appear on the Hungarian state media on Wednesday as he prepares to overhaul the broadcasters he repeatedly accused of spreading propaganda benefiting the outgoing government of Viktor Orbán.

“Nothing lasts forever. The party-state is falling apart before our eyes,” he said in a post on social media.

It will be his first interview given to the state media in – this is not a typo – a year and a half, including the entire election campaign.

His intervention will be closely watched for hints on how he wants to reform the state TV and radio. During his press conference yesterday, he suggested he would suspend their operation until a new board gets put in place to ensure unbiased coverage, pointing to the BBC as one of his inspirations (Europe Live, Monday).

He is set to appear on Kossuth Rádió at 7:33 in the morning, and on M1 TV just after 8am local time.

in Budapest

We are getting some interesting comments from the Kremlin in reaction to the Hungarian election over the weekend.

Reuters reported that Kremlin ruled out congratulating Péter Magyar on his win yesterday, saying Hungary was designated as “an unfriendly country” over its past support of the EU sanctions against Moscow.

That’s a peculiar line to take as that clearly didn’t bother them under the previous government, with both Viktor Orbán and his foreign minister Peter Szijjarto repeatedly meeting Vladimir Putin and other senior officials in Moscow, and infamously keeping very open lines with them to discuss EU policies, including on sanctions.

But the tone coming from the Kremlin has seemingly shifted a bit overnight, with Moscow saying today that it noted “with satisfaction” that the new leader of Hungary wanted to engage in a pragmatic dialogue with Moscow.

“For now, we can note with satisfaction, as far as we understand, his [Magyar’s] willingness to engage in pragmatic dialogue,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“In this instance, there is mutual willingness on our part, and we will then proceed to take our cue from the specific steps taken by the new Hungarian government.“

At his press conference yesterday, Magyar was extensively asked about his views on Russia and called for “pragmatic” relations between the countries (Europe Live, Monday).

He argued that Hungary “cannot change geography” as it still relied on energy supplies from Russia, even as he suggested he would push to diversify these sources in the future.

He also said that in case of a peace agreement in Ukraine he would support lifting of sanctions against Russia, even as he accepted that Moscow remained a security risk for Europe.

It is clear that the relationship between Budapest and Moscow will be very different to the one under Orbán, but it will be worth watching how it evolves.

As mentioned earlier, Zelenskyy is in Berlin today for talks with Merz (and between their two governments).

He has just landed in central Berlin in the last half hour, and we should hear from both of them later today.

in Brussels

The European parliament’s lead MEP on Hungary has expressed hope that Péter Magyar’s incoming government can “do a lot” to restore the rule of law thanks to its sweeping parliamentary majority.

Tineke Strik, a Dutch Green MEP, who is the European parliament’s lead coordinator on Hungary and the rule of law, said “that even a deeply cemented electoral autocracy as [Viktor] Orbán has created can be overturned so overwhelmingly” was “bad news for autocrats” in general.

The incoming Hungarian government, she said, had to deal with EU institutions over two sets of rule-of-law issues:

• unlocking €17bn EU funds frozen over concerns about corruption and breaches of EU law;

• the ongoing rule-of-law sanctions procedure (article 7) launched by the European Parliament in 2018.

The Dutch MEP is responsible for overseeing the article 7 process, long becalmed because EU member states could not find a majority to sanction Hungary.

Speaking to journalists, on her return from Budapest, she said:

“Magyar has promised to restore the rule of law, to respect the primacy of EU law and to combat corruption. And these are vital promises. And the big mandate that the voters have given to him also enable him to fulfil his promises. But it’s a complex operation which requires time and close cooperation with the EU.

In the light of the two-thirds majority we are hopeful that they are able to do a lot on the restoration [of the rule of law].”

Unlike Poland where a nationalist president stymied a new reformist government’s attempts to reform the courts, Hungary should face fewer obstacles, she said.

She also suggested EU authorities needed to show flexibility on deadlines – Hungary risks losing €10.4bn in long-frozen Covid recovery funds, unless there is an agreement by the end of August 2026.

On 16 June, the Hungarian government is due to face a long-scheduled hearing under the long-running article 7 procedure, to discuss what steps it is taking to address concerns about captured courts and systemic corruption. Previous governments have used these occasions to mount aggressive denials.

In contrast, Strik said the 16 June hearing would be the “perfect occasion for a discussion in the [EU] Council where Magyar can present complete proposals with complete timelines”.

Magyar would be represented by his EU affairs minister at the 16 June hearing, which falls a few days before what is likely to be his first EU summit on 18-19 June.

Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvolgyi
in Budapest

In a small plaza facing Budapest’s Nyugati train station, Gabor, 40, confessed that he was very, very hungover after the election night.

“I partied all night,” he said, laughing. “It was crazy, I thought Fidesz was going to win. Now I’m really hopeful.”

It was a hint of the mix of excitement, disbelief and hope that has gripped much of Hungary. After 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s efforts to transform the country into a “petri dish for illiberalism”, Hungarians overwhelmingly cast their ballots to oust Orbán and his Fidesz party from power in Sunday’s election.

Instead, the record turnout translated into a landslide victory for the opposition Tisza party in a result that sent thousands of jubilant supporters pouring into the streets of Budapest on Sunday night.

Led by Péter Magyar, the centre-right party won 138 of the parliament’s 199 seats, giving it the power to amend the constitution and potentially dismantle many of the key pillars that had sustained Orbán’s “illiberal democracy”.

“I’m so happy. I can’t quite believe that it happened,” said Eva, 37. “This morning I was bracing for something to happen – like they would say they found some massive number of ballots that would change the results. Now I’m starting to believe that it could be real.”

The election result was due, in part, to the mobilisation of young people who voted against Orbán’s government. Many of them had come of age as the country plunged in press freedom rankings, faced accusations of no longer being a full democracy and became the most corrupt country in the EU.

As the results rolled in on Sunday, an impromptu party sprang up on the banks of the Danube, spilling across the city as strangers hugged and high-fived each other in metro stations and people chanted “We did it!” and “It’s over” against a backdrop of honking vehicles.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with German chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin today, as part of intergovernmental consultations between the two countries.

AFP noted that Germany has become Ukraine’s biggest backer in its four-year war against Russia’s invasion as the United States under President Donald Trump has cut back on support, and Kyiv is keen to keep Berlin on side.

The two administrations are also expected to discuss joint defence ventures, including their work on drones.

Several ministers are expected to part in the meeting, including foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, energy minister Denys Shmyhal, and economy minister Oleksii Soboley.

Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar has been invited to meet with the Hungarian president, Tamás Sulyok, on Wednesday to discuss the government-formation process following the stunning win over Viktor Orbán in Sunday’s election.

The meeting could be a bit awkward, given Magyar’s repeated calls for Sulyok, an Orbán loyalist, to resign from the office.

“He was appointed to sign everything; every document that he is presented with – whether it’s the menu or the constitution or the laws – so we don’t need people like that. To me, he is not the president,” he said yesterday.

Erm, nice weather, Mr President, huh?

Speaking of presidents, we finally heard from the US vice-president JD Vance overnight as he defended his decision to travel to Budapest last week to interfere with the Hungarian election support Orbán in the final days of the campaign.

Appearing on Fox News, he said he was “said that [Orbán] lost,” but insisted the intervention “was not about Russia, and fundamentally, it was not about Europe,” merely a sign of thanks from the US administration for defending its interests against the EU bureaucracy.

“He’s one of the few European leaders we’ve seen who’s been willing to stand up to the bureaucracy in Brussels that has been very, very bad for the United States. So for example, when you see a European bureaucrat go after an American company, sometimes the only vote ‘no,’ the only vote to protect that American interest, has been Viktor Orbán.”

Vance added that the White House “certainly knew there was a very good chance that Viktor would lose that election,” but he wanted to “stand behind a person who had stood by us for a very long time.”

He also insisted that Orbán “is a great guy who’s done a very good job,” before adding:

“I think that his legacy in Hungary is transformational, 16 years, fundamentally changing that country.”

Well, hard to disagree with that.

But in a sign that will be reassuring to the incoming Magyar administration, however, he declared that “we will work very well, I am sure, with the new prime minister of Hungary.”

I will bring you more reactions and news from across Europe during the day.

It’s Tuesday, 14 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.