Hungary's PM Magyar announces Visegrad Group reset, sets summit date

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on Wednesday, June 18, announced via X (formerly Twitter) the “relaunch” of the so-called Visegrad Group (V4). He stated that the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia have all accepted his invitation to Budapest and Gödöllő on June 23. “Let us work together for a strong Central Europe!” Magyar wrote.

Previous deterioration of relations

In recent years, relations among V4 member states had soured primarily due to divergent positions on Russia’s war in Ukraine. The stances of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico often clashed with those of Warsaw and Prague. For instance, in autumn 2025, Polish President Karol Nawrocki canceled a meeting with Orbán after the latter’s visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hopes for renewed cooperation

After Magyar took office as prime minister, his first foreign visit was to Poland in an effort to reset bilateral ties. Previously, Orbán’s administration had hoped to form an “anti-Ukraine alliance” within the EU together with Czech populist leader Andrej Babiš and Slovakia. Magyar now appears to be steering a different course and aims to revive the V4 as a platform for cooperation. He has also earlier expressed a desire to expand the group’s membership.

The June 23 summit will be the first under the new format after years of stagnation and could have significant implications for Central European politics and the region’s stance within the EU.