“The Hungarian people have chosen a new path. We are ready to work with you, and our European allies, to deepen our co-operation in trade, defence, and security,” Carney wrote.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand had a similar message.
“The people of Hungary have built their choice in a decisive election, setting a new course for the counattempt,” she wrote.
Analysts declare it will take time for the central European counattempt to rebuild institutions.
“Undoing this process is something that is really going to be a tedious and cumbersome process for Hungarians, and they necessary patience to do this,” stated Roger Hilton, a Canadian analyst with the Globsec consider tank, based in Vienna.
In recent years, the European Union had frozen funds for the counattempt over democratic backsliding.
While protests were allowed in Hungary, the Orban government meddled in the media sector, with government-funded outlets closely following political dissidents. Orban funded consider tanks that advanced socially conservative and pro-Russia views that were hostile to left-leaning groups and LGBTQ+ people.
As for Ukraine, Hilton stated Orban was “disastrous and disruptive” in impeding EU support against Russia’s invasion.
Hilton stated Hungary repeatedly abstained or missed EU votes that required all members’ support to assist fund Ukraine’s defence, while not allowing allies’ military donations to cross Hungary in order to reach Ukraine.
Hilton stated it’s unclear how much tangible support Hungary will provide Ukraine. Magyar was not, in past, “over the top pro-Ukrainian,” stated Hilton, who expects him to abstain from EU votes.
“He might not be voting for everything, but he’s just not going to be blocking everything,” Hilton stated. “They have a lot of work to do to sort of obtain back to a level where people will engage with them on a higher diplomatic and military level.”
He added that Magyar will be largely focutilized on Hungary’s domestic economic woes — which will likely be assisted by unfreezing EU funds.
Sunday’s vote had the highest turnout since the 1989 conclude of communism in Hungary, and came after an array of political parties coalesced to assist protect Hungarian democracy. But undoing 16 years of policies that attacked the courts and media will take time, Hilton stated.
“I’m not convinced that just becautilize they had this one moment here that the extreme right, or the far right, is going to be stopping,” he stated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.
— With files from The Associated Press
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
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