Magyar’s first visit to Warsaw may help revive Visegrád Group’s role in EU – Czaputowicz

This opinion was expressed in a comment to Ukrinform by former Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.

“This visit will have a symbolic dimension, as Donald Tusk’s government is perceived by Tisza and its supporters as a force that once also pushed the right-wing out of power (Law and Justice of Jarosław Kaczyński in 2023 – ed.). There is a certain programmatic closeness and similarity of political paths here, and cooperation between the parties of Tusk and Magyar will undoubtedly be mutually supported,” Czaputowicz noted.

According to the former head of Polish diplomacy, an important consequence of establishing close contacts between Tusk and Magyar could be the restoration of cooperation within the Visegrád Group (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia), which had previously been hindered by Budapest’s pro-Russian stance.

“There is hope that the Visegrád Group, which once played an important role, will again become a voice for the region’s interests in the European Union. Although the Czech Republic and Slovakia still have right-leaning governments, they are more pragmatic than Orbán’s Hungarian government,” Czaputowicz stressed.

In his view, the Visegrád Four could again play a significant role in Europe, as it did during the process of joining NATO and the EU, or during the period when the Law and Justice (PiS) party was in power in Poland.

“The interests of these countries have always been strong and shared, and they were clearly articulated. Thanks to this, these four states together played a greater role,” Czaputowicz emphasized.

Answering a question about whether Warsaw could help restore good relations between Kyiv and Budapest, the former foreign minister said both countries should achieve this without intermediaries.

“I believe Hungary will directly establish good relations with Ukraine. I don’t think a mediator is needed; Ukraine should try to find its own approach to the new Hungarian leadership. But of course, Poland will always be ready to help in this matter,” Czaputowicz said, adding that “these relations will certainly improve.”

He also noted that, from Ukraine’s perspective, it is important for neighboring countries to maintain good relations and to jointly support Kyiv within the Visegrád framework – in military, economic, and European integration matters.

As previously reported, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk congratulated Péter Magyar and his Tisza party on their victory in the parliamentary elections and discussed his first foreign visit as Hungary’s incoming prime minister, which is expected to be to Warsaw.

Earlier, Magyar stated that his first foreign visits as Hungary’s new prime minister would be to Warsaw, Vienna, and Brussels, with the trip to Poland planned for early May.