Péter Magyar in Paris: It’s good to be here, it’s good to be in Europe

Péter Magyar has arrived at the Élysée Palace, where he is meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Ahead of the meeting, the two leaders greeted each other with a handshake in front of the palace. Foreign Minister Anita Orbán and György András Velkey, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have accompanied the Prime Minister on the visit.

At the press conference held prior to the meeting, Emmanuel Macron said that a new era has begun in Hungary, which is clear proof that the Hungarian people are committed to European values. The French president welcomed the agreement between Hungary and the European Commission on the release of EU funds. With regard to the upcoming European Council meeting on June 18–19, Macron noted that EU support and loans for Ukraine would also be discussed. “We must put pressure on Russia,” he emphasized, adding that Ukraine should join the European Union on its own merits.

We are strengthening our strategic cooperation with Hungary in the areas of defense, nuclear energy, industry, agriculture, and the fight against disinformation, Macron said. According to him, France’s presence in Hungary is important, and trust is already growing thanks to the new government’s policies. He also expressed his delight that Hungarian students will once again be able to join the Erasmus program starting next year.

“The Hungarian people are also feeling the new breeze, and I am very pleased that Europe is feeling it too,” Péter Magyar said at the beginning of his speech. “France is one of our most important partners and allies, and a very important economic partner, as French companies provide jobs for 45,000 of our compatriots.” The Hungarian people are ready to rebuild and strengthen Hungarian-French relations, he said, adding that he hopes the new strategic agreement will be filled with as much substance as possible, in the economic, diplomatic, and cultural spheres, as well as EU-related matters. He hopes that this agreement can be signed before October 23, he said, and invited Emmanuel Macron to the commemoration in honor of the 1956 Hungarian revolution to be held on October 23 in Budapest.

He pointed out that France and Hungary have many shared interests, among others, in the fields of nuclear energy and energy security.

Magyar then spoke about strengthening the V4 and expressed his hope that in the future, France would also be able to work more closely with the V4 and they could set goals together. “In the current international situation, there is a need for much closer cooperation,” he emphasized. He noted that the adoption of anti-corruption measures in Hungary is the shared interest of Hungarian, European, and French investors, and was also a condition for receiving EU funds. “We look forward to the arrival of French investors,” he said. In addition to business cooperation, he also highlighted the importance of cooperation in the areas of education and culture.

“It’s good to be here, it’s good to be in Europe; our European partners can count on Hungary, and we, too, are happy to count on Europe,” he concluded his speech.

On Wednesday morning, Péter Magyar laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then met with the President of the Senate. Following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, he will meet with the President of the French National Assembly.

On Tuesday, the Hungarian Prime Minister traveled to Berlin, where he held bilateral talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

In reference to these two trips, when addressing Parliament on Monday, Magyar said:“We will continue to work on strengthening Hungary’s position in Europe, within the Western alliance system".

Following the Tisza Party's election victory on April 12, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz were among the first to congratulate Péter Magyar. “France welcomes this victory of participation in democracy, the Hungarian people’s commitment to the values of the European Union, and Hungary’s commitment to Europe", Macron wrote on X in Hungarian at the time.