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| The US vice-president defended last week's visit but said he was sure he could work with Péter Magyar(Image: Reuters) |
JD Vance, the vice president of the United States, insists that he was right to go on a two-day campaign visit to support Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán five days before he was ousted from office by Tisza, the opposition party, in a landslide. Vance told Fox News that Orbán was "one of the few European leaders we've seen who's been willing to stand up to the bureaucracy in Brussels," and that he was a "great guy" who did a "very good job." He stated that while he was disappointed by Orbán's defeat, he was certain that the United States would "work very well" with the new government. Tisza's triumphant leader, Péter Magyar, had criticized Vance's intervention, stating the following week that "no foreign country may interfere in Hungarian elections." But on Monday, he said that the United States was a "strong and important" Nato partner and that he would talk to President Donald Trump or anyone else who called him. Until Magyar is sworn in, Orbán will continue to lead Hungary as a caretaker. On Wednesday, the three party leaders with seats in parliament have been invited to meet with President Tamás Sulyok. Sulyok has the task of convening Hungary's new parliament and recommending the next prime minister by 12 May, and Magyar has urged him to do that as soon as possible and then resign, calling him a "puppet" of Orbán's government.
Magyar has suggested that he might become prime minister as early as May 5th.
READ MORE: Chris Mason: How Lammy and Vance's unlikely friendship is being leveraged
Sulyok's office has made clear to Hungarian media he will not resign, however he is expected to discuss with the three party leaders when to convene the National Assembly and propose a new prime minister.
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| Péter Magyar aims to be prime minister by about 5 May(Image: Reuters) |
In a striking new development, the incoming prime minister announced that, prior to his meeting with the president, he would appear on public radio and television on Wednesday. Magyar said on Monday that in all the time he had led Hungary's main opposition party he had never been allowed on public TV, until he was asked on Monday morning, after he had swept Fidesz from power.
He said he had refused that initial invitation and pledged to suspend all news coverage on public TV and radio until it could guarantee unbiased coverage. He suggested using a board like the BBC and other public broadcasters to ensure the independence of state media.
Magyar has set a series of tasks as soon as his party comes to office, having won a "super majority" of 137 seats, according to latest preliminary results.
The incoming Hungarian leader is confident that Tisza will extend its lead in the battle. Winning two-thirds of the 199 seats in parliament means the government has the ability to change the constitution and reverse Orbán-era changes.
Describing Hungary as the poorest and most corrupt member of the European Union, he says his government will create an Anti-Corruption Office and a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, and start the process of joining the EU's European Public Prosecutor's Office.
Viktor Orbán's government became infamous for a system of cronyism that allowed public contracts to go to favoured individuals, while rule of law was compromised by a lack of judicial independence.
Magyar has spoken of Hungary being robbed bare, with billions going missing in state contracts and corruption taking place on an industrial scale.
The first thing he'll be working on is reopening billions of euros' worth of EU funding and loans that Orbán had frozen due to a number of factors, including democratic backsliding and the rule of law. An estimated €17bn (£14.8bn) has been suspended, but Hungary is also waiting for €16bn more to be approved in defence loans.
"Swift work to be done to... restore the rule of law [and] realign with our shared European values," according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who claimed that she spoke with Magyar on Tuesday. Meanwhile, EU leaders are urgently pushing for Hungary to overturn a veto imposed by Orbán on €90bn in aid to Ukraine in the weeks leading up to the election.
Magyar has made clear he does not consider the veto to be relevant, as Hungary was one of three countries that opted out of the loan to Ukraine last December.
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stressed that the aid to Kyiv should be released "very quickly" with the change of government in Hungary. Merz met Magyar earlier this year in Munich, and the new Hungarian leader will make Berlin one of first foreign destinations.
Source: BBC
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