Is Magyar’s election win the end of the EU’s troubles with Hungary?

Viktor Orban’s exit signals a potential end to Hungary’s EU isolation, and opens the door for diplomatic and economic collaboration.Threats, fines, and vetoes defined the relationship between Viktor Orban, Hungary’s now-outgoing prime minister, and the European Union for years. That seems to be about to change.On Sunday, Peter Magyar of the Tisza Party won parliamentary elections by a landslide – and a mandate to access money from the European bloc and get the country’s economy back on track.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Ukraine sends advisers to Gulf as it counterattacks Russian forces in southlist 2 of 3‘Orban constantly vetoes’: Europe braces for Hungary electionlist 3 of 3Vance visits Hungary to shore up Orban’s support before Sunday voteend of listOrban, who ruled the country for more than 16 years, was in a constant battle of attrition with the EU, from staunchly supporting Russia and blocking sanctions against it, to opposing funds for Ukraine. But that approach translated into sanctions, no access to European funds, and diplomatic isolation.Now, European countries will have a partner to negotiate with, experts say.“He [Magyar] does not want Hungary to be a pariah state; he sees Hungary’s place inside the EU and not outside of it; he wants Hungary to be part of the important decision-making process in Brussels,” said Orsolya Raczova, an analyst at Eurasia Group.Voters cited the economy and the cost of living as among the main concerns that need to be addressed, and “this is what Magyar used in his campaign, promising to kick-start the economy”, ” said Razcova, noting that in this process, “unlocking EU funds is a priority”.Hungary has faced three years of almost zero economic growth. It had the highest inflation in the EU in 2023, and has had among the highest in the years since.Ukraine and RussiaThe EU allocated more than 16 billion euros ($18.7bn) to Hungary following the COVID-19 pandemic. But the country has not yet satisfied the criteria required to unlock that money.