German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosted new Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar on Tuesday, promising to support the fellow EU country on its return "to the centre of Europe" following 16 years under the rule of Magyar's predecessor Viktor Orbán.
Receiving the 45-year-old at the Chancellery in Berlin, Merz hailed Magyar's landslide election victory over Orbán as "an inspiration for all of Europe."
Merz vowed to contribute to "making this new beginning in Hungary a success."
Magyar promised to turn Hungary into an "honest and reliable partner" for Europe again.
“Of course, we won’t always see eye to eye. But we won’t veto something just on principle," he said, adding that he believed in dialogue.
New beginnings
Orbán, a Russia-friendly right-wing populist, repeatedly used Hungary's veto power to obstruct EU aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Moscow, most recently a €90 billion ($121 billion) package for Kiev.
Magyar's centre-right Tisza Party secured a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian parliamentary elections in April, ousting Orbán from power.
Hungary under Orbán had faced sustained criticism from the EU over democratic backsliding and rule-of-law concerns. Magyar has pledged sweeping political reforms and a new direction for the country.
Magyar made his first foreign trips to Poland and Austria shortly after taking office in early May. Last week he visited Brussels to hold talks with the leaders of the EU and NATO, as well as the Belgian government.
Relationship with Kiev remains thorny
While Magyar has stressed that Ukraine is "the victim" in the war launched by Moscow and "has the right to defend itself," he reiterated in Berlin on Tuesday that Budapest would not send weapons or soldiers to support Ukraine, a stance that has been lauded by the Kremlin.
Magyar also intends to block the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine until a dispute on the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine is resolved.
Magyar has previously said he expected improvements, such as guarantees on school lessons in Hungarian.
However, the new Hungarian leader said during the press conference with Merz that he believes an agreement on the issue could be imminent.
“We hope to be able to conclude the technical discussions as early as this week,” he said, adding he would be prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week in that case.
“We are ready to open a new chapter in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations.”
According to Hungary, up to 100,000 ethnic Hungarians live in the western Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia.
Under Orbán, relations with the neighbouring country reached an all-time low, when Orbán more or less openly sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Since taking office, Magyar has sought to remove Orbán allies from key positions, including telling President Tamás Sulyok to resign by May 31.
In Berlin, Magyar described Sulyok as “Viktor Orbán’s puppet” and accused of him of doing nothing while Orbán insulted critics, artists and judges as “bedbugs."
Merz received Magyar with military honours to mark the premier's inaugural visit to Germany.
