Hungary and France are reinforcing their cooperation in several strategic areas, including nuclear energy, defence, and agricultural policy, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced Thursday during talks in Paris.
Following a meeting with French European Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Szijjártó emphasized that both countries share a commitment to national sovereignty, restoring Europe’s competitiveness, strengthening the defence industry, and defending farmers against what he described as unjust pressure from Brussels.
‘We fully agree that national sovereignty must be preserved, that European competitiveness needs to be restored as soon as possible, and that negative discrimination against nuclear energy is unacceptable,’ Szijjártó said.
He criticized the European Commission for what he called ‘serious attacks’ on farmers, accusing the EU of planning to divert significant funding away from agricultural support. ‘Hungary will under no circumstances support the Commission’s next seven-year budget proposal if it means stripping farmers of vital resources,’ he stated, affirming Hungary’s backing for the Common Agricultural Policy.
On defence, Szijjártó highlighted Hungary’s growing collaboration with France, citing the delivery of 36 military helicopters and the establishment of an Airbus parts manufacturing plant in Hungary. He also pointed to joint opportunities in the space industry, noting that Hungarian firms are now cooperating with Thales, a leading French aerospace company.
The Hungarian minister underlined that the two countries are especially aligned on nuclear energy, which he called a ‘pillar of future energy security’. In a separate meeting with French Minister for Industry and Energy Marc Ferracci, Szijjártó stressed that global energy demand—driven by economic growth and climate challenges—requires reliable and low-emission solutions like nuclear power.
‘Only nuclear energy can meet these demands in a cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly way,’ he said, denouncing all pressure and bias against the technology.
He noted that France, Europe’s leading nuclear power producer, is already involved in Hungary’s expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant. French firm Framatome will supply key control systems, while another major French company is manufacturing the plant’s turbines, production of which has already begun in France.
Szijjártó concluded that deepening Hungarian–French cooperation in nuclear energy is ‘critical’ to securing Hungary’s energy future and maintaining Europe’s lowest household energy costs.
‘We and the French share the same goals,’ he said. ‘This partnership between Hungary and one of the G7’s strongest economies is vital for safeguarding sovereignty, competitiveness, and energy security in Europe.’
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