Hungary's PM Magyar waters down EU stance on Ukraine accession

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar made his debut at an EU summit, signaling a significant shift in Hungary's approach to the bloc. Magyar promised a different representation of Hungary, focusing on national interests without unnecessary opposition. During his first summit, Magyar met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, with whom he discussed concluding the EU's rule-of-law procedure against Hungary by autumn. Metsola expressed her willingness to work with the new prime minister. Magyar also successfully pushed to remove wording about accelerating Ukraine's EU accession from the summit conclusions, emphasizing that Ukraine must adopt all EU rules without cutting corners. Magyar presented this as an example of effective representation through compromise, though it comes as a blow to President Zelensky's efforts for fast-track membership. Magyar has previously suggested Ukraine might join the EU in 10-15 years.