Hungary has so far deviated from adherence to EU laws and undermined the foundations of civil society that it is unlikely to change course as long as Prime Minister Viktor Orban is in power.
This was stated by Polish Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar in an interview with POLITICO, reports UNN.
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In his opinion, the example of Poland, whose previous right-wing leadership had been in conflict with the EU for years and was ousted in 2023, shows that illiberal governments do not change their policies even under strong pressure from Brussels.
“Under the current leadership, it will be difficult,” Bodnar said of Hungary's prospects for returning to EU standards.
According to him, the example of Poland shows that without a change of leadership, it is extremely difficult to restore the rule of law and return democratic values.
This statement comes after the new EU Commissioner for Rule of Law, Michael McGrath, said last week that it is “never too late” for Hungary to return to normal relations with the EU.
Meanwhile, Budapest is on the verge of losing one billion euros frozen due to violations of the rule of law. However, according to Bodnar, even if Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar defeats Orban in the 2026 elections, as polls show, the devastating impact of the 16-year rule of Fidesz on civil society will be so profound that it will take a titanic effort to restore it.
Given the depth of institutional changes and a weaker civil society than in Poland, the European Commission will have a serious challenge to bring Hungary back into the EU orbit
Bodnar, who served as Poland's ombudsman from 2015 to 2021, was known as a critic of Poland's previous nationalist government led by the Law and Justice party.
In 2023, he became the Minister of Justice in Donald Tusk's government. His statements came as Warsaw prepares to take over the presidency of the EU Council in January, replacing Hungary.
The program of the Polish presidency will focus on defense.
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