Hungary's New Leader at EU Summit While Orbán Allies With Far-right
WHO:
ABC News - Péter Magyar, Hungary’s new leader, has requested that the Article 7 process be halted.
politico.eu - Manfred Weber, head of the center-right European People’s Party, called for the end of Article 7 proceedings against Hungary.
AP News - Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s former prime minister and now leading opposition figure.
AP News - Péter Magyar, Hungary’s new leader and member of the center-right Tisza party.
AP News - European leaders including Spain’s Pedro Sanchez, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Germany’s Friedrich Merz.
AP News - Thomas Byrne, Minister for European Affairs for Ireland.
AP News - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
AP News - Geert Wilders, Dutch ally of Orbán.
AP News - Gabriela Greilinger, researcher at the University of Georgia.
WHAT:
politico.eu - Hungary's new government plans to introduce reforms to access over €16 billion in EU funds that had been frozen.
AP News - The EU summit is being held in Brussels without Viktor Orbán for the first time in 16 years.
AP News - Hungary lifted its veto on Ukraine’s accession process after negotiations with Kyiv.
AP News - Orbán attended a summit of his Patriots for Europe party group in Brussels.
AP News - The right-wing coalition passed a vote to reform the EU’s migration policy.
AP News - Orbán stated, “No one election loss can stop this historical process,” regarding the rise of far-right parties.
WHERE:
AP News - The EU summit is taking place in Brussels, Belgium.
AP News - Orbán was in Brussels for the Patriots for Europe party group summit.
WHEN:
politico.eu - The Parliament’s rule of law monitoring body mission is scheduled for next October to assess the situation in Hungary.
AP News - The EU summit is being held on a Thursday.
AP News - Hungary’s new government pledged more constructive cooperation with the EU after Orbán's election loss in April.
AP News - Ireland will take the rotating EU presidency in July for six months.
WHY:
ABC News - The shift brought in by the new Hungarian government is viewed as undeniable, but specific concerns raised during the Article 7 procedure must be addressed.
AP News - Orbán’s election loss was viewed as a rebuke of his combative approach to the EU and ties to Russia.
AP News - Hungary’s new government aims to improve relations with the EU and support Ukraine’s accession.
HOW:
ABC News - The process for potentially suspending Budapest’s rights remains active despite not reaching the required majority among EU countries.
AP News - Orbán’s previous veto power over EU decisions has been removed, allowing Ukraine to begin its accession process.
AP News - The right-wing coalition reformed the EU’s migration policy through an alliance with the center-right European People’s Party.
(UPDATED June 18, 2026 19:48 UTC)
Hungary's new leader, Péter Magyar, has requested a halt to the Article 7 process, a move supported by Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party, who is calling for an end to the proceedings against Hungary. The new government is also planning to introduce reforms to unlock over €16 billion in EU funds that have been frozen, while the Parliament’s rule of law monitoring body is set to assess the situation in Hungary next October. Despite these developments, concerns raised during the Article 7 procedure still need to be addressed, and the process for potentially suspending Budapest’s rights remains active, as it has not yet reached the necessary majority among EU countries.
--
(UPDATED June 18, 2026 18:06 UTC)
The EU summit is currently taking place in Brussels, marking the first time in 16 years that Viktor Orbán is absent from the gathering. Hungary has lifted its veto on Ukraine’s accession process following negotiations with Kyiv, and the new government has pledged to foster more constructive cooperation with the EU after Orbán's recent election loss. In a related development, Ireland is set to assume the rotating EU presidency in July for six months, as the right-wing coalition has successfully reformed the EU’s migration policy through an alliance with the center-right European People’s Party.