Péter Magyar says Hungary’s governing Tisza Party will be ready to join the European People’s Party (EPP) once the EU’s Article 7 procedure against Hungary has been closed.

Magyar, who became Hungary’s prime minister after Tisza’s election victory in April, made the announcement after meeting Manfred Weber, the president of the European People’s Party, in Budapest on Wednesday.

The two politicians discussed how Hungary has changed since the election, with Magyar highlighting what he described as the end of publicly funded “hate campaigns” in the country.

According to Magyar, Weber said that supporting Hungary had always been important to him as a Bavarian politician and that he had personally found the previous government’s attacks on him difficult to experience.

Tisza eyes full EPP membership

One of the most politically significant points of the meeting was Magyar’s announcement that Tisza intends to join the European People’s Party itself.

Tisza has already been part of the EPP’s European Parliament political group since 2024, but membership of the wider European party family would represent a further step towards closer cooperation with Europe’s largest centre-right political family.

Magyar said Tisza would “gladly join” the EPP once EU institutions have closed the Article 7 procedure launched against Hungary.

The procedure was initiated by the European Parliament in 2018 over concerns relating to the rule of law and other fundamental EU values. It has remained unresolved for years.

The question of ending the procedure has gained renewed attention since Tisza came to power. Weber said as early as April that the European Parliament should take steps towards ending the process.

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Weber offers help over EUR 1 million daily fine

The meeting also focused on Hungary’s long-running dispute with the EU over its asylum and migration policies.

Magyar said Weber had offered to help find a solution that would allow Hungary to stop paying the EUR 1 million daily fine imposed over its failure to comply with EU asylum rules concerning the protection of the bloc’s external borders.

The Hungarian prime minister said he made clear that the country would continue to protect its borders. He also said the new government would seek to have the fines already imposed on Hungary credited during negotiations over the EU’s next seven-year budget.

The dispute dates back to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which found Hungary had failed to fulfil its obligations under EU asylum law.

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‘No blank cheque’ for Brussels

Magyar also stressed that closer cooperation with the EU would not mean giving up Hungary’s interests. He said the Tisza government’s priority would remain representing the interests of Hungarian people and businesses, adding that the government would not give anyone a “blank cheque” in EU decision-making.

The comments come as Budapest prepares for negotiations over the bloc’s next seven-year budget, one of the major issues facing the new Hungarian government.

António Costa next on Magyar’s Budapest agenda

Magyar’s meeting with Weber is part of a busy week of high-level European diplomacy. The Hungarian prime minister said he would also meet António Costa, president of the European Council, in Budapest after Wednesday’s government meeting.

According to Magyar, talks with Costa will focus on the EU’s new seven-year budget and the challenges facing Europe.