Hungary's prime minister-elect, Peter Magyar, said Monday that his country would apply to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC). His predecessor, Viktor Orbán, had withdrawn Hungary from the court after it issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Speaking at his first press conference since winning the election, Magyar said, "The Orbán government initiated the withdrawal process, which may conclude as early as June 2. We cannot stop that process, but we will reverse it – we will initiate Hungary's re-accession to the ICC, exactly as was the case until now."
Magyar said Hungary would maintain "zero tolerance for any form of antisemitism" and added that Israel is "an important economic partner" of Hungary, expressing his intention to manage relations pragmatically. He made clear, however, that he "cannot guarantee that Hungary will continue to block EU criticism of Israel," adding, "We will assess what is in our interest, and decide accordingly."
Magyar declared that he would amend the constitution to enshrine that "the prime minister may serve a maximum of two terms, eight years." The amendment would bar Orbán from returning to power. During Orbán's years of rule, Magyar said the country "was robbed, saddled with debt, and corrupted" by "an organized crime group that embedded itself with the media and the economic elite." He promised to establish an office to locate and recover stolen assets.
Magyar claimed that outgoing Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó "arrived at the Foreign Ministry this morning and is shredding documents related to EU sanctions against Russia." The remarks came against the backdrop of recordings published on the eve of the election of phone calls between Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in which Szijjártó could be heard briefing Lavrov on details from EU meetings and promising to work toward removing Russian figures from sanctions lists.
Video: Hungary's incoming health minister celebrates the opposition's election victory. Credit: Reuters
On Hungary's relations with Russia, Magyar said his government would maintain "pragmatic relations" with Moscow and noted, "If Putin calls, I will take the call. I will not call him myself." On dependence on Russian oil, he said, "We cannot change geography," and promised to diversify energy sources, but made clear, "That doesn't mean we will cut ourselves off – we will always buy oil in the cheapest and safest way."
Magyar made clear that his government would not support Ukraine's rapid accession to the European Union and noted that the issue would be put to a referendum. He said Ukraine would have to go through the same accession process as any other country, and its chances of joining within the next decade were low. He added, however, that "everyone in Hungary knows that Ukraine is the victim in this war" and that his government would seek good-neighborly relations with Kyiv.
On relations with Washington, which backed Orbán throughout the election campaign, Magyar said, "It is every leader's prerogative to support whoever they wish, but after the election, the situation is different." Magyar noted that Vice President JD Vance made clear during his visit to Budapest that the US would cooperate with the Hungarian government regardless. He said he would not call Trump but would be open to any approach from the American administration.
Magyar, 45, won Hungary's election on Sunday by a wide margin and is expected to replace Viktor Orbán, who served as prime minister for 16 consecutive years. His Tisza Party won 138 of 199 seats in parliament – a two-thirds majority that will allow him to amend the constitution and repeal the reforms passed during Orbán's tenure. Voter turnout stood at approximately 79%, a historic high.
The chief Orthodox rabbi, Shlomo Köves, and head of the Orthodox Jewish community in Hungary, EMIH, sent Magyar and the Tisza Party a personal congratulatory letter on Monday on their "unprecedented election victory." The rabbi noted that during the years of Orbán's rule, "the sense of security of the Jewish community strengthened, and Hungary became one of the safest countries for Jews in the Western world," and that the Hungarian right underwent "a fundamental shift toward dialogue and friendship with Israel and the Jewish people."
Rabbi Köves stated that "the special friendship between Hungary and Israel did not come about on its own – it is the result of years of joint effort," and expressed hope that with Magyar and the Tisza Party it would be possible "to continue fruitful cooperation, both for the continued prosperity of the Jewish community, for its continued security, and so that Hungary will continue to maintain steadfast and uncompromising friendship with Israel, the only Jewish state in the world."
