Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said the government’s goal is for international partners to feel that ‘Hungary has returned to the heart of Europe’ with clear interests, defined red lines and a willingness to compromise.
In an interview published Friday by Válasz Online, Anita Orbán said rebuilding expectations, diplomatic culture and standards of conduct would be a long-term effort.
‘It’s not about volume; we do not insult ambassadors; we do not show up in shorts,’ she said.
The minister noted that she invited all heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Budapest to the Foreign Ministry last Friday, something she said had not happened in 12 years. She also said no full staff assembly had been held at the ministry during that period. According to Orbán, internal communication channels within the ministry had been lacking, leaving employees without adequate information from leadership. She stressed that anyone working at the Foreign Ministry now must possess professional competence and ‘unquestionable integrity’, meaning there can be no suspicion of theft, corruption, intentional leaks or breaches of confidentiality.
Anita Orbán said the government plans a comprehensive review of Hungary’s diplomatic network in order to make informed decisions and create a more efficient and strategically justified international presence.
On Ukraine, she said Hungary remained open to improving bilateral relations but insisted that the educational and language rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia must first be addressed. ‘We will not move forward on other issues, including Ukraine’s EU accession, until there are concrete results,’ she said, adding that the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia would have a decisive voice in defining those conditions.
‘Educational and language rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia must first be addressed’
The minister noted that Prime Minister Péter Magyar had proposed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berehove in early June as a target date for achieving tangible progress.
Anita Orbán rejected suggestions that a recent Russian drone attack in Transcarpathia had any connection to the Hungarian government, saying all such incidents must be understood within the framework of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
She also announced plans to prepare reports on third countries that may have distorted Hungarian decision-making processes in recent years in ways contrary to Hungarian interests. The work is expected to begin after state secretaries formally take office, with initial findings planned for release during the summer.
Regarding Hungary’s long-running disputes with Brussels over frozen EU funds, Anita Orbán said: ‘Why didn’t the EU funds arrive? Because they were stolen. Period. We simply need to ensure this can never happen again.’ She added that officials at the European Commission had shown a constructive attitude and understood that Hungarians were entitled to the funds while also recognizing the country’s economic difficulties.
On migration, Anita Orbán said Hungary would not participate in any future EU migration crisis by accepting migrants or making financial contributions. Instead, Hungary would provide technical assistance, such as sending experts and police officers to member states facing sudden migration pressure at their borders. She argued that the previous Hungarian government had pursued ‘a policy of total confrontation with the EU,’ describing it as an attempt to act as ‘a stick in the spokes’.
The minister said EU affairs had now been divided institutionally: the Prime Minister’s Office would handle single market issues, while the Foreign Ministry would oversee common foreign and security policy, sanctions and enlargement matters. She added that overall coordination would remain a government-wide responsibility, while parliament would also play an important role in restoring rule-of-law conditions.
‘The Prime Minister’s Office would handle single market issues, while the Foreign Ministry would oversee common foreign and security policy…’
Discussing relations with Slovakia, she said Hungary was open to cooperation but only if criticism of the Beneš decrees was no longer punished and ethnic-based land confiscations ceased. ‘Our sovereignty is built on standing up for Hungarian minorities beyond the borders,’ she said.
Asked what she hoped to achieve within a year, Anita Orbán listed the release of EU funds, the restoration of participation in the Erasmus and Horizon programmes, functioning cross-border cooperation projects, improved relations with neighbouring countries, and Montenegro nearing EU accession.
‘The goal is for our partners to feel that Hungary has returned to the heart of Europe,’ she said.
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