Hungary Vote Unlikely to Deliver Pro-Ukraine Shift, Politico Reports
Kyiv Post • • world
Key Points:
- Péter Magyar, the leading opposition candidate in Hungary's April 12 parliamentary election, holds Ukraine-related positions similar to current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, despite his anti-establishment image domestically.
- Magyar opposes fast-tracking Ukraine's EU accession and suggests a referendum in Hungary, potentially delaying membership, while also rejecting military aid to Ukraine, citing Hungarian public opinion.
- His party voted against a €90 billion EU loan package for Ukraine, raising concerns in Brussels that a Magyar government would prioritize domestic politics over EU unity on Ukraine.
- Both Magyar and Orbán emphasize nationalist rhetoric, focusing on Hungarian sovereignty and voter sentiment, and have criticized Ukraine over its treatment of Hungary's ethnic minority in Transcarpathia.
- Despite hopes in Kyiv for a more flexible stance under Magyar, any policy shifts are likely limited by entrenched domestic anti-Ukrainian sentiment and Hungary's current geopolitical orientation, including closer ties with Moscow.
