Magyar Set to Sign EU Funds Deal in Brussels on Thursday

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar says negotiations on suspended EU funds are "progressing well" and that he plans to sign an agreement on their release in Brussels on Thursday.

Magyar told RTL television that he has spoken to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen several times recently and exchanged letters with her on the matter.

Budapest needs the funds to stabilize its public finances. Magyar has inherited a soaring budget deficit and an economy that only just emerged from recession in the first quarter, following years of stagnation.

Magyar said he planned to announce details of the agreement on Thursday. During the same trip, he will also meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

Magyar said the Hungarian government expects GDP growth of around 2% in 2026, or slightly higher.

(reuters, luc)