\n<\/p>\n
Hungary\u2019s new Prime Minister P\u00e9ter Magyar has described Poland as a role model for his country during his inaugural visit to Warsaw.<\/p>\n
Poland is now a middle power and stronger than ever before, said Magyar, following talks with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Hungary must work to follow Poland\u2019s example in developing its infrastructure, economy and defence capabilities, he said.<\/p>\n
Tusk praised Magyar\u2019s recent election victory, which he said signified Hungary\u2019s return to Europe, honesty and genuine democracy.<\/p>\n
“It is also a sign of hope for millions of people in Europe and worldwide that democracy, the rule of law, decency and morality in politics are not lost causes.”<\/p>\n
The two-day visit to Poland is Magyar\u2019s first foreign trip in his new role. The 45-year-old secured a two-thirds majority with his centre-right Tisza Party in the Hungarian parliamentary elections in April, ousting the right-wing populist Viktor Orb\u00e1n after 16 years in power.<\/p>\n
Orb\u00e1n systematically eroded democracy, which Magyar has promised to reverse.<\/p>\n
Many see a parallel with Poland\u2019s Prime Minister Donald Tusk. In the 2023 parliamentary elections, Tusk succeeded in defeating the right-wing conservative PiS, which had governed Poland for eight years, with a pro-European opposition alliance.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, Magyar also emphasized the foreign policy shift in his country. “Ukraine is a victim and has the right to defend itself,” he made clear.<\/p>\n
Poland, an EU and NATO member state, is one of the closest political and military allies of Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia.<\/p>\n
In contrast, under Orb\u00e1n’s rule Hungary made itself an outsider within the EU with its pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian stance.<\/p>\n
The new Hungarian prime minister said that his government offered the chance to open a new chapter in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations.<\/p>\n
The two countries have begun video conference negotiations on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, which numbers around 80,000 people.<\/p>\n
If these talks are successful, Magyar said he would like to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday afternoon, Magyar travelled with Tusk to the latter\u2019s home town of Gda\u0144sk, where he also spoke with Lech Wa\u0142\u0119sa, founder of the Solidarno\u015b\u0107 trade union and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.<\/p>\n
Magyar then joined Tusk for a stroll through the narrow streets of Gda\u0144sk\u2019s old town, where he was given a warm welcome by the locals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n