EU cash, Ukraine, Russia and migration: five takeaways from Péter Magyar's press conference

Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar said connected Monday helium is acceptable to instrumentality bureau rapidly and called connected the country's president to convene parliament to signifier a caller authorities "as rapidly arsenic possible," expressing anticipation to win Viktor Orbán arsenic premier curate arsenic aboriginal arsenic 5 May.

Magyar held a three-hour planetary property league successful Budapest, taking questions connected a wide scope of issues.

"The Hungarian radical did not ballot for a elemental alteration of government, but for a implicit alteration of regime," helium said.

Below are the cardinal points from his remarks connected European affairs :

Unblock EU funds

Magyar said securing frozen EU funds is his government’s apical priority, arsenic the European Commission has suspended €17 cardinal of the €27 cardinal allocated to Hungary.

Budapest's defence program nether the SAFE programme — the €150 cardinal indebtedness instrumentality to boost defence accumulation crossed the bloc — has besides yet to beryllium approved.

Magyar said helium had a four-point program to scope an statement connected the merchandise of EU funds for Hungary and is already successful progressive negotiations with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"These are anti-corruption measures, including joining the European Public Prosecutor's Office," Magyar said, referring to the EU’s autarkic prosecutorial body, which Hungary had chosen not to join. "The 2nd is to reconstruct the independency of the judiciary and investigative authorities, the 3rd is to guarantee state of the press, and the 4th is to liberate Hungarian universities and world freedom."

He said helium hoped the program would beryllium capable to unlock decisions "as rapidly arsenic possible."

Join Eurozone

Magyar said his authorities would measure joining the eurozone, a cardinal run pledge.

"The bulk of Hungarian radical and the bulk of Hungarian concern leaders judge that it would springiness the Hungarian system a grade of stableness if we acceptable a day for joining the eurozone" Magyar said.

He added that they volition request archetypal to analyse the authorities of the fund and behaviour a swift consultation earlier mounting a day for the accession.

Keep an opt-out connected Ukraine loan

Magyar said Hungary wants affable relations with each its neighbours, including Ukraine, and indicated helium would beryllium consenting to conscionable President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He stressed that Ukraine cannot beryllium compelled to judge a bid woody that requires it to cede territory.

"No different state has the close to accidental that you should springiness up this oregon that territory. Anyone who says specified a happening is simply a traitor himself," Magyar said.

On the EU's €90 cardinal indebtedness bundle to Ukraine, Magyar said helium supports Hungary's opt-out, negotiated by the Orbán government, citing Hungary's atrocious budgetary situation.

Magyar besides said Ukraine's EU accession "in the adjacent 10 years" would not beryllium realistic, and opposed immoderate fast-track of the country's EU membership.

Continue purchasing Russian oil

Magyar said Russia indispensable extremity the war, and that helium would present that connection to President Vladimir Putin straight if fixed the opportunity.

"If Vladimir Putin calls, I'll prime up the phone. If we did talk, I could archer him that it would beryllium bully to extremity the sidesplitting aft 4 years and extremity the war."

"It would astir apt beryllium a abbreviated telephone speech and I don't deliberation helium would extremity the warfare connected my advice," helium added.

On energy, Magyar said the state volition proceed purchasing Russian vigor and prioritise the cheapest disposable oil, a stance that appears to opposition with his run pledge to signifier retired Russian vigor imports by 2035.

Oppose the EU's Migration Pact

Magyar said Hungary indispensable resoluteness the contented of the €1 cardinal regular fines it faces for non-compliance with a erstwhile European Court of Justice ruling connected the attraction of migrants.

"There are different countries that person managed to comply with EU instrumentality without allowing irregular migrants to enter. If Slovakia and Poland could lick this, past truthful tin we."

Magyar said helium opposes the EU's migration pact and intends to support the borderline obstruction built nether the Orbán government.

"Hungary takes a precise strict stance connected amerciable migration. It volition not judge immoderate pact oregon allocation mechanism, and we volition support the confederate borderline obstruction — and spot up the holes that are determination now."

He added that Hungary could lend to different countries' defence capabilities by deploying borderline guards.