Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has indicated that he could meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels as early as next week. In an interview with Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, published on Saturday, Magyar also described a complete rewrite of Hungary’s Constitution as one of his government’s most important tasks.
In a Facebook post published on Sunday about the interview, the prime minister said he had given his first and probably last interview at the Carmelite Monastery, the seat of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, to the daily newspaper with the largest number of subscribers in Finland and the Nordic region.
“Those who actually have an interview scheduled get one,” Magyar remarked, referring to his recent dispute with Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
Magyar’s government is dismantling Orbán’s system, Finnish journalist says
In the article published by the Finnish newspaper, an unofficial Hungarian translation of which was sent to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) by the Government Communications Office on Sunday, the journalist described Magyar’s political performance in the spring as “quite astonishing”. The writer said the Tisza Party was now dismantling the “authoritarian system” of former prime minister Viktor Orbán step by step.
The interview, which was limited to ten minutes, took place earlier this week following a press conference on abuses against children.
Discussing the restoration of democracy, Magyar stressed that Hungarians had had enough of corruption, lies and propaganda. He said he was proud that his government had reached a political agreement with the European Union, adding that EU funds belonged to the Hungarian people.
Asked about concerns that he might eventually resort to authoritarian methods himself, given Tisza’s two-thirds parliamentary majority, Magyar said he had better things to do.
“For example, I could spend time with my three children,” he said.
He added that his government had started by limiting its own power. As its first measure, it enshrined a provision in the Constitution restricting prime ministers to two terms in office, or a maximum of eight years.
Magyar also said that one of the government’s most important tasks would be to rewrite the Constitution in its entirety. He estimated that the process would take at least a year, and said the proposed new Constitution would be put to a referendum.
The prime minister said he could not imagine his government becoming like Fidesz, Orbán’s former governing party.
“Of course, we are human too, and we will make mistakes, but we will try to correct them,” he added.
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Zelensky meeting could take place in Brussels next week
On Hungary’s relations with Ukraine, the Finnish newspaper reported that Magyar did not intend to provide military assistance to the country or allow weapons shipments to pass through Hungary. In September, he also briefly held up Ukraine’s EU accession talks, demanding that Kyiv guarantee the rights of the Hungarian minority living in Ukraine.
Magyar told the newspaper that he wanted to rebuild trust with Ukraine through small steps. He said he would meet Zelensky, possibly as early as next week in Brussels.
He also noted that an agreement on the situation of the Hungarian minority had already been signed.
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Hungary cannot end its dependence on Russian energy overnight
Speaking about Russia, Magyar recalled that this year marks the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 23 October Revolution of 1956, which ended with the Soviet Union’s bloody suppression of the country’s attempt to break away from the socialist bloc.
“However, we cannot free ourselves from energy dependence overnight,” the prime minister said.
He added that Hungary needed to end this dependence and find new energy sources, but warned that the transition would not happen quickly.
Magyar denies having inside knowledge of corruption investigations
During the interview, Magyar denied knowing more about the progress of investigations into corruption cases from the Orbán era than any other Hungarian citizen. He also rejected opposition accusations that he was politically influencing the investigations.
He revealed that he had visited the prosecution service himself the day before the interview in connection with an incident from 2024. A Hungarian man had accused him of theft over an incident at a Budapest nightclub. Magyar denied the allegation.
He said he was the first prime minister in Hungarian history to visit the prosecution service to respond to criminal accusations, arguing that this alone “already refutes the accusation against me”.
What did Magyar say about same-sex adoption?
The interview also addressed Magyar’s statement in September that he supported adoption rights for gay people, although he did not intend to push for the introduction of same-sex marriage.
He explained that, as prime minister, he had a duty to represent every Hungarian citizen. He also acknowledged that certain issues, including the situation of sexual minorities and euthanasia, were sensitive topics.
According to Magyar, a child is better off being raised by same-sex parents than living in a children’s home.
Nevertheless, he does not intend to initiate legislative changes on the issue. “Change also depends on Hungarian society, and we need to talk about it,” the prime minister said.