Editors’ Choice: Magyar scores big Brussels

Brussels’ arch antagonist might be out of the picture since Viktor Orbán’s defeat last month, but huge reforms and political détente stand between smooth relations with Hungary. Is Péter Magyar the man to reset the balance?

Early indicators provided reasons for optimism, but plenty of margin for doubt as well. Notwithstanding relief at Orbán’s departure, his successor has been reticent to walk back on Hungary’s long-held resistance to Brussels – most notably on the question of Ukraine’s accession to the bloc.

Then there was the awkward manoeuvring as a meeting between Magyar and Ursula von der Leyen was seemingly delayed, with the Commission evasive until the last minute about when this would take place. As welcome receptions for a key new head of state go, this was decidedly chilly.

If anything, Magyar arrived in Brussels more as a contestant than a lost leader coming in from the cold. Securing frozen EU funds was central to his election campaign, and the cocksure new prime minister had made out that this would be eminently achievable. For its part, the Commission had been cautious in promising disbursements, with one official telling Euractiv‘s Rapporteur that it was “unlikely [Budapest] will get the €10 billion they are aiming for.”

So the news on Friday afternoon that over €16.4 billion will be unlocked appears to be a major win for Magyar, who said he hadn’t expected such a sum. “We were tough negotiation partners – the president can attest to that – we fought for every last cent,” he said after the meeting.

Crucially, funds will not be paid until the reforms have been made – a lesson learnt from Poland, where promised reforms were stopped after frozen billions had been released. “The moment the rule of law reform passes the parliament, the moment the money tied to that milestone can be disbursed,” said von der Leyen.

And despite the slight froideur in the run-up to the summit, the mood afterwards was markedly chummy. “It is quite a sum but the Hungarian people deserve it,” von der Leyen cooed.

How long the good vibes last is another question. On 16 June, Brussels will propose opening Kyiv’s first negotiating cluster for EU membership. It remains to be seen whether Budapest will keep blocking this, and Magyar insisted that its position on Ukraine is separate from Hungary’s frozen funds.

The week from Euractiv policy desks

Tech – Pope backs AI rules

An unlikely actor has weighed in on the debate about the perils of artificial intelligence: the Pope. In his very first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, took aim at Silicon Valley and appeared to endorse the EU’s AI Act. He warned about the dangers of AI to education, workers, and families, and criticised Silicon Valley tech moguls for wielding AI as an instrument of power. “Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of ‘armed’ competition, which today is not limited simply to the military context, but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon,” he wrote. – Cristina Maza

Energy, environment & transport – Bracing for a scorching

Weather has been on everyone’s mind this week, but spare a thought for Europe’s firefighters, who must be watching the heat records tumble with something approaching dread. Every year, the European Commission announces tweaks and various fillips for its RescEU service, putting pooled resources in the shape of amphibious planes, helicopters and personnel on standby. Alice Bergoënd and Florent Servia have been talking to people on the front line to get an idea of the state of readiness across the EU as this year’s inevitable wildfire season gets underway. – Robert Hodgson

Agri – National subsidies won’t solve fertiliser crisis, EU farm ministers warn

The Commission’s plan on fertilisers, which proposes redirecting Common Agricultural Policy funds towards farmers who use fertiliser efficiently and encourages governments to use state aid, was met with criticism from farm ministers who were gathered in Brussels last Monday. They warned that national subsidies are not a silver bullet to shield farmers from the combined short-term impact of energy and fertiliser price shock, Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro reports. – Angelo Di Mambro

Defence – In Latvia’s pine forests, NATO’s drone future takes shape

Like a bird of prey chasing its victim, the interceptor drone swoops in and neutralises its flying target. A few seconds later, a loud explosion rips through the air before the strong northern wind disperses the smoke. That’s what companies and military officials observe when they visit the Sēlija training range, opened earlier this year in Latvia after roughly two years of land clearing and construction, and which has now become NATO’s innovation range for uncrewed systems and counter-UAS technologies. We bring you inside. – Alice Tidey

Health – Harvesting US research talent

Europe is seeking to attract top scientific talent from the US, including researchers looking for a new base amid concerns over censorship and cuts to federal funding – though the bloc may need to do more to remain competitive. While Commission President Ursula von der Leyen touted a €500 million “Choose Europe for Science” initiative last year, the EU’s flagship research programme Horizon, under the current budget cycle, only amounts to about two years of funding for the US National Institutes of Health. – Emma Pirnay