Péter Magyar, Hungary's new prime minister, chose Poland as his first foreign destination on Tuesday, a symbolic gesture that Donald Tusk hailed as marking "Hungary's return to Europe" after years of rule-of-law tensions under Viktor Orbán.
The visit, which took Magyar from Kraków to Warsaw and then to Gdańsk, signals a significant realignment in Central European politics, according to Polish government sources. Tusk, speaking at a joint press conference in Warsaw, described Magyar's electoral victory as proof that "democracy, the rule of law, decency and morality in politics are not lost causes."
In Poland, as across Central Europe, history is never far from the surface—and neither is the memory of occupation. The symbolic weight of Magyar's planned meeting with Nobel laureate Lech Wałęsa in Gdańsk underscored the democratic ideals both leaders say they share, connecting contemporary political struggles to Poland's Solidarity legacy.
The two prime ministers agreed that the Visegrad Group—comprising Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic—could be "renewed and revitalised" to strengthen Central Europe's influence within the European Union. Magyar proposed expanding cooperation to include Nordic and Balkan countries plus Austria, a move that would reshape regional dynamics.
Notes from Poland reported that Magyar indicated Hungary would follow Poland's example in restoring rule of law, recovering frozen EU funds, and fighting corruption—all areas where Orbán's government faced sustained criticism from Brussels.
Tusk offered Polish assistance in reducing Hungary's dependence on Russian energy, a particularly sensitive issue given Poland's acute awareness of threats from . The Polish prime minister also expressed hope for improved EU coordination on Ukraine policy, an area where Orbán had previously obstructed consensus, frustrating and other capitals on NATO's eastern flank.
