Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda sees the election of Péter Magyar as Hungary’s next prime minister as a “great opportunity” for the European Union.
“It was frustrating to see how practically a single person or a single politician was holding the other EU member states to ransom,” Nausėda said of outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who suffered a crushing defeat in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
According to the BNS news agency, Nausėda said this was the case “not just on technical or minor decisions, but on fundamental decisions that are important both for our future and for our image.”
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The Lithuanian president said he was now hoping for “good news” regarding a multibillion-euro EU aid package for Ukraine, which Orbán had blocked, and prospects for the war-torn country’s accession to the bloc.
Hungary has repeatedly blocked EU foreign policy moves in the past, as measures such as sanctions on Russia or progress in accession negotiations with Ukraine require the unanimous consent of all 27 EU member states.
Orbán’s blocking of EU aid for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion has troubled Lithuania, which is a close partner and supporter of Kiev.