Magyar’s first trip abroad took him to Poland: Warsaw talks with Tusk, V4 “revival” plans and a Zelensky meeting

Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar has chosen Poland for his first foreign trip in office, holding talks in Warsaw with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and signalling a broader diplomatic reset in Central Europe. The visit includes stops in Kraków and Gdańsk, and meetings not only with current leaders but also with former Polish president and Solidarity icon Lech Wałęsa.

Speaking at a joint press conference on Wednesday morning in Warsaw (20 May), Tusk framed Magyar’s election victory as part of a wider “return of hope” in the West and in Central Europe, after what he described as years in which traditional democratic values had come under pressure.

Tusk: the relationship broke down under Orbán, but “we will cooperate now”

Tusk said Polish–Hungarian relations had historically been strong but “broke” during the period Viktor Orbán was in power in Hungary. He stressed this was not about tension between Poles and Hungarians as peoples, but differences in political approaches at government level.

The Polish prime minister said the two countries’ interests were now “completely aligned” and suggested Poland and Hungary would appear “as a joined hand” in Brussels and other political forums.

Tusk also thanked Magyar for what he called making the Visegrád cooperation “viral” again, saying the revival of the V4 would be part of a broader project to restore the region’s influence.

For foreign readers: the Visegrád Group (V4) is a Central European cooperation format traditionally involving Poland, Hungary, Czechia and Slovakia.

Magyar: “Polak, Wegier, dwa bratank” and a push to expand regional cooperation

Magyar opened his remarks with the well-known Polish proverb “Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki” (“Pole and Hungarian, two good friends”), and said it was both an honour and emotionally significant to stand next to Tusk.

He spoke about the historical importance of Polish–Hungarian ties, recalling family connections to the story of Polish refugees during the Second World War, including Balatonboglár in Hungary, which he described as a place where Polish refugees lived and studied.

Magyar said it was no accident his first trip was to Poland, noting he had promised during the campaign that Poland would be his first destination if he won and if there was willingness on the Polish side to receive him.

He also set out a regional ambition: working with Poland, Slovakia and Czechia to restore the V4’s “old strength, shine and influence” within the EU, and potentially expanding cooperation beyond the original four. He mentioned neighbouring countries, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Western Balkan states that are not yet EU members as possible partners in a wider regional framework.

A V4 summit in Budapest by the end of June?

Magyar said he would like to host a V4 prime ministerial meeting in Budapest by the end of June, and that Tusk was open to the idea.

He also said Hungary would welcome advice and examples from Poland, including on how EU funds can be used effectively. In his account, Poland and Hungary were “front-runners” at the time of their EU accession in 2004, but he argued Hungary later fell behind while Poland developed into a regional power.

Sensitive issues: Polish politicians, asylum cases and the rule-of-law shadow

Tusk said talks covered areas that had previously cast a shadow over bilateral relations, referring to Polish politicians who had been in Hungary in recent years. Hungarian reporting cited cases linked to former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro and ex-deputy minister Marcin Romanowski, who received political asylum in Hungary under the previous Orbán government while Poland pursued allegations and charges.

Magyar said he had offered help to the Polish government so that the two politicians could be brought before justice.

Energy security, Ukraine and a planned Zelensky meeting in June

Tusk said Poland has become fully independent from Russian oil and gas and offered assistance to Hungary in reducing its reliance on Russian energy.

On Ukraine, Tusk said the two sides would work on a joint position and suggested their stances are not far apart, adding that Ukraine should also respect the rules that applied to Poland during its own accession process.

Magyar said Ukraine is the victim in the war and has the right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and argued that Hungary can help now by decoupling from Russian energy. He also said technical talks have begun on issues affecting the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, which he described as a foundation for Hungary being able to support Ukraine’s EU accession.

He added that he plans to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berehove (Beregszász) in early June.

If you missed it: FM Anita Orbán recalls Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw, signals shift in foreign policy

Magyar in Krakow

Magyar began his Poland trip on Tuesday in Kraków, where he made a point of leaning into shared Polish–Hungarian history. In remarks later referenced during the Warsaw press conference, he said he paid tribute at the tombs of Stephen Báthory (Báthory István) and Queen Jadwiga (Hedwig) in Kraków, calling it an emotional moment “as a Hungarian prime minister and as a Hungarian”. He also noted he travelled on to Warsaw by train from Kraków, and mentioned a small local-history detail he picked up there: Poles who returned home after the Second World War from Balatonboglár (where many Polish refugees stayed and studied) were nicknamed “boglárcsikok”.

What to watch next

The Warsaw visit, with its emphasis on rebuilding Central European cooperation and aligning positions on energy and Ukraine, sets an early tone for Magyar’s foreign policy. The next milestone, if it happens, could be the proposed V4 summit in Budapest before the end of June — and the planned Zelensky meeting soon after.

What’s next? From today: Hungary’s PM Magyar cuts Vienna trip to “lightning visit” as meetings are dropped