The leader of the “Tisa” party, which won the parliamentary elections in Hungary, Peter Madyar, who is seen as a likely next Prime Minister, expressed his readiness for pragmatic dialogue with the Russian Federation. In his speech on April 13, he thanked Russia and China for recognizing the election results, following which Viktor Orban’s party lost power, and the country anticipates significant political changes.
This is reported by Finway
Position on Cooperation with Russia and China
Peter Madyar emphasized that it is important for Hungary to maintain pragmatic relations with Russia and China, highlighting the geopolitical significance of such an approach. At the same time, he noted that Budapest will continue to purchase oil from Russia, but he advocates for maximum diversification of energy supply sources to reduce dependence on a single supplier.
“The Kremlin and Beijing have spoken. I am grateful to them for respecting the will of Hungarian voters and for being open to pragmatic cooperation, just as Hungary is, because geography is geography.”
Relations with Ukraine and the European Union
Peter Madyar stressed that he will not be a “friend” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has no intention of initiating a phone call with him. However, if such contact occurs, he would advise the Russian leader to end the war against Ukraine. Madyar clearly defined his position on the conflict, emphasizing that Ukraine is a victim of aggression, and no one has the right to demand concessions from it regarding its own territory.
Additionally, the future Prime Minister made it clear that he would lift the veto imposed by Orban’s government on the decision to grant Ukraine a loan of 90 billion euros. At the same time, Madyar believes that Hungary should not be financially responsible for this loan and opposes the expedited accession of Ukraine to the EU. He links the restoration of friendly relations with Kyiv to the respect for the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed respect for the choice of the Hungarian people but emphasized that Vladimir Putin does not plan to congratulate Madyar on his election victory, as Hungary remains an unfriendly country to Russia.
Peter Madyar has already received congratulations from leaders of many European Union countries and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In Brussels and Kyiv, there are expectations that the new Hungarian government, which declares a pro-European course, will change Orban’s policies and stop blocking decisions aimed at supporting Ukraine.
It is worth noting that following the voting results on April 12, the center-right “Tisa” party gained a constitutional majority in the new composition of the Hungarian parliament.