The European Commission called the initial talks this weekend with the new government in Hungary "extremely constructive" and hinted at the new Hungarian government's position on Ukraine, writes UNN with reference to The Guardian.
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The Deputy Chief Spokesperson for the European Commission, Olof Gill, told reporters that the meetings were "extremely constructive and positive in tone."
He said it was "a very useful starting point for the necessary work that needs to be done, in particular to unblock funds for the benefit of the Hungarian people."
When asked about the new Hungarian government's position on Ukraine, Gill declined to provide more details but hinted: "The bottom line is that we are engaging with the new Hungarian government to move forward on a number of issues that have been blocked for too long."
Separately, Gill was also asked about reported progress in the process of resuming oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, and he responded by saying that the European Commission "has tried to play a coordinating role, a mediating role here, to try to move this issue forward."
The publication notes that the leader of the winning party in the Hungarian elections, Péter Magyar, seeks a special relationship with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to leverage the neighboring country's experience in restoring relations with the EU after years of illiberal rule.
And while EU officials held their first informal talks with the new administration in Budapest, behind the scenes, Polish and Hungarian officials have been talking for months about how Poland's recent efforts to overcome past illiberal rule could be applied to Hungary, the publication notes.
Informal talks, which began in early 2026, months before the elections, were "essentially about saving as much as possible of what would otherwise have been lost under Orbán," said one senior Polish government official involved in the process.
But time is running out, as Hungary must achieve its "super goals" by the end of August to access the first tranche of €10.4 billion. About €2.12 billion has already been irrevocably lost.
Polish officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss the confidential process, said they hoped for rapid progress but told their Hungarian counterparts that "promises will not be enough; they will have to actually change something – and quickly."
Hungarian parties set date for election of Péter Magyar as prime minister17.04.26, 18:24