Does Hungary want to take Transcarpathia, and what will be Ukraine's relations with Hungary – expert explanation

The victory of a new political force in Hungary and the likely departure of Viktor Orbán could significantly change the nature of relations between Budapest and Kyiv. However, the issue of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia and other important issues will not disappear, although the confrontational format may shift to negotiations. This opinion was expressed in a comment for UNN by political scientist Ihor Reyterovych.

According to the expert, it is important to understand that there is no territorial conflict between Ukraine and Hungary, and all disputes in recent years have mainly concerned issues of national minorities and Budapest's internal policy.

After Orbán - fewer conflicts, more pragmatism

Reyterovych emphasized that even during Orbán's time, Hungary officially did not make territorial claims to Ukraine. Instead, the topic of Zakarpattia was often used as a political tool.

We need to understand clearly: there are no territorial issues between us. Hungary, even under Orbán, did not publicly make claims to Ukraine. There were symbolic hints, such as stories about "Greater Hungary," but this concerned not only Ukraine but also other neighbors. The real problem was different - the issue of the Hungarian minority, which was used as a lever of pressure 

In his opinion, after the change of prime minister, the situation may become more constructive.

Obviously, the issue of the Hungarian minority will remain. But it can move from the plane of blackmail to the plane of normal dialogue. As far as I understand, there are already signals that the joint working group between Ukraine and Hungary, which was actually frozen in recent years, may be restarted. And this is the right way - to talk substantively, and not through ultimatums 

Problems that practically do not exist

The expert emphasized that the Hungarian community in Ukraine itself has repeatedly stated the absence of systemic oppression or conflict with the state.

The paradox is that representatives of the Hungarian minority repeatedly appealed to Budapest and said - we have no claims to Ukraine, we are satisfied with everything. That is, many "problems" that Orbán spoke about existed mainly in political rhetoric, and not in real life 

At the same time, he did not rule out that the new Hungarian government would also appeal to this topic, but without excessive exacerbation.

Any Hungarian politician will talk about protecting compatriots abroad. This is normal practice. But one thing is to protect people's rights, another is to create a crisis in relations with a neighbor. I think the new government will act much more pragmatically 

Will Magyar repeat Orbán's policy towards Ukraine?

Reyterovych noted that the new favorite of Hungarian politics, Péter Magyar, has already made a number of important statements that differ from Orbán's line.

Magyar explicitly said that Hungary would not block financial aid to Ukraine, would not block sanctions against Russia, and would not block the opening of negotiation clusters for Ukraine's accession to the EU. This is already a very significant difference from what we have seen in recent years 

According to the political scientist, this does not mean automatic support for Ukraine in everything, but it means the end of the policy of constant sabotage.

Of course, Hungary will continue to defend its interests. For example, it may oppose an accelerated procedure for Ukraine's accession to the EU. But something else is important here: not only Hungary opposes rapid accession. There are other countries as well. Therefore, we should not reduce everything to Budapest alone 

Language issue - there will be fewer manipulations

Separately, Reyterovych commented on the disputes surrounding language legislation and education, which Orbán often used in negotiations with Kyiv.

Ukraine makes all decisions in accordance with European norms and charters. If we act according to European standards, what claims can there be? Moreover, the Hungarian community itself recognized: without knowledge of the Ukrainian language, it is impossible to live fully in Ukraine 

According to him, the complete isolation of national minorities in their own language environment only harms the people themselves.

It cannot be that a person lives in Ukraine but does not know the state language. This limits their opportunities to enter university, work, and realize themselves. Therefore, a balance is needed here - preserving the native language and full command of Ukrainian 

What this means for Ukraine

According to Reyterovych, for Kyiv, the change of government in Hungary can be a chance to remove one of the main artificial obstacles on the way to the European Union.

If a government appears in Budapest that does not use Ukraine as an internal political scarecrow, that will already be a big plus. We will be able to move from conflicts to normal diplomacy. And then everything will depend on how quickly Ukraine itself does its homework on European integration 

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