Brussels Sees Magyar's Determination as Hungary Reconnects with EU

European Union officials have expressed optimism about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's renewed commitment to EU cooperation, describing signs that Hungary appears to be realigning itself with the bloc. The positive assessment comes as Hungary faces a critical deadline to implement reforms by the end of August to avoid losing an additional 10 billion euros from EU recovery funds. Hungary has been at odds with Brussels over rule of law concerns and democratic backsliding, which led to the suspension of significant EU funding. The EU's recovery and resilience facility, established to help member states rebuild their economies after the COVID-19 pandemic, has been partially withheld from Hungary due to concerns about corruption, judicial independence, and press freedom.