Europe20 May, 20263 min read
Péter Magyar Meets Donald Tusk in Warsaw to Reset Poland-Hungary Relations
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Magyar's Warsaw visit marks his first official trip since taking office. Poland-Hungary rapprochement aims to strengthen bilateral ties and Visegrad cooperation.
Magyar resets ties
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar began his first official foreign trip since taking office with a visit to Poland, meeting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw as both sides framed the encounter as the start of a new chapter after years of tensions under Viktor Orbán. In Warsaw, Tusk praised Magyar’s election victory and said the political transformation in Hungary resembled Poland’s own 2023 election, when his coalition returned to power after eight years of Law and Justice (PiS) rule.
Magyar said it was “no coincidence” that Poland was his first stop as prime minister, and he emphasized that “Europe’s heart today beats in Central Europe.” The two leaders discussed energy security, defense, and relations with the EU, with Tusk thanking Magyar for his commitment to renew cooperation among the Visegrád Group, and Magyar also calling for reviving and potentially expanding the Visegrád Group beyond Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Energy and Brussels
Tusk told reporters he was “ready” to partner with Hungary and other European allies in the energy field, saying he would offer “cooperation, assistance, and investments in infrastructure” to make the region “autonomous” and “independent as possible in terms of energy sources.” Agenzia Nova reported that Tusk offered Magyar assistance in diversifying energy supply sources to sever ties that existed between Hungary and Russia during the Orbán government, and it said Warsaw could guarantee Budapest access to US liquefied natural gas (LNG) through a new terminal in Gdansk scheduled to become operational in 2028.
Tusk also said Hungary’s return to Europe marked “Hungary's return to Europe, to high standards, honesty, and true democracy,” while Magyar and Tusk reiterated that Hungary and Poland would cooperate closely within the European Union and regional formats such as the Visegrád Group. The meeting also included Ukraine on the agenda, with Magyar reiterating his support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity while calling for an immediate ceasefire and a lasting peace agreement, and with technical talks already begun regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.
V4 revival and next steps
Magyar said he wants to revive and potentially expand the Visegrád Group and invited Tusk, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to a V4 summit in Budapest before the end of June. The Budapest Times reported that Magyar said he was proud to strengthen the “thousand-year friendship and alliance between Hungary and Poland,” and it said his delegation included six cabinet ministers, naming Zoltán Tarr, Anita Orbán, and Dávid Vitézy among those accompanying him.
In Kraków and Warsaw, Magyar also met Polish leaders and former President Lech Wałęsa, while the agenda in Gdansk included further meetings tied to the effort to restore bilateral cooperation and renew dialogue on Ukraine, energy cooperation, and Central European regional partnerships. El País described the shift as Hungary restoring bilateral relations with Poland after years of rupture due to Orbán’s closeness to Putin, and it quoted Tusk saying “Central and Eastern Europe is a place where the fate of Europe is also decided,” as both leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation and work on a common position on Ukraine.