The key facts

  • Von der Leyen, Costa and Macron will travel to Budapest on Friday for the 70th anniversary of the 1956 uprising — the first visit to Hungary by a European Commission president since 2024.
  • The government of Péter Magyar has called Russia a security threat and approved the opening of four clusters of negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession.
  • Zelensky has also been invited, but Magyar considers his attendance unlikely; the full list of participants has not been disclosed.

The visit marks a warming between Brussels and Budapest

According to Euronews, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Budapest on Friday to take part in events marking the 70th anniversary of the anti-Soviet uprising of 1956. The ceremony is hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The outlet notes that the visit signals a noticeable warming in relations between Brussels and Budapest after years of tension under Magyar's predecessor Viktor Orbán. For von der Leyen, this is her first visit to Hungary since 2024, when she took part in the European Political Community summit in Budapest.

A change of course after Orbán

Under Orbán, Hungary repeatedly blocked EU initiatives to support Ukraine, opposed financial and military aid to Kyiv and maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After Magyar's Tisza party came to power in April, the new government pledged to return Hungary to the European mainstream and resolve long-standing disputes with Brussels. As Euronews writes, in a sharp break with Orbán's policy, Magyar's government has called Russia a security threat and approved the opening of four clusters of negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession.

Context of the anniversary and the list of participants

On 23 October 1956, Hungarian students took to the streets in protest against Soviet occupation; the demonstrations quickly grew into a popular uprising, which was later crushed by the Red Army. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also been invited to the commemoration, but according to Magyar he is unlikely to attend — his presence would draw parallels with Ukraine's defence against Russia's full-scale invasion. The Prime Minister added that he had invited all European leaders except Putin. The full list of participants has not yet been published. According to Euronews, the anniversary may provide an occasion for European leaders to express support for Magyar after the Orbán era and to speak out against Russia's war in Ukraine.