Hungary’s newly elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar said he would travel to Brussels on the 29th of April to meet informally with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the release of funds for Hungary, Reuters reports.
Magyar’s party won a landslide victory in Hungary’s parliamentary elections on the 12th of April, ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. Orbán’s rift with the European Union resulted in the country freezing EU funds over concerns about corruption and the rule of law in Hungary. Magyar said there was not much time left.
The new Hungarian prime minister has outlined four areas where his cabinet will make rapid changes to avoid losing around 10 million euros in funding due to expire at the end of August.
Magyar has vowed to fight corruption and restore media and academic freedom.
After the election, the politician said he hoped to reach a political agreement on his first visit to Brussels.
On the 12th of April, Magyar’s Tisza party won a landslide majority, giving the new parliament the power to change legislation introduced by the previous leader to control the justice system, public procurement and the media. These issues have been at the heart of the conflict between Orbán’s government and Brussels.
Hungary’s economy has been stagnant for the past three years, and Magyar’s victory has raised hopes that EU funds will flow into the country, providing a much-needed boost.
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