Visegrad Group in April 2026: the most important developments in economy
In the Visegrad countries in April 2026, the economy followed Hungary's election. Viktor Orbán lost on April 12, the forint jumped to a three-year high, and Hungarian assets reached record levels. Péter Magyar said he would travel first to Warsaw and then to Brussels to unlock EU funds, and that Hungary would not block the €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine. The European Commission tied the release of €35 billion in frozen funds for Hungary to reforms and continued support for Ukraine. The loan itself depended on the Druzhba oil pipeline: after a three-month shutdown, oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia resumed on April 22 and 23, Hungary dropped its veto, and the EU approved the loan, while Hungary and Slovakia refused to contribute to it. Separately, DeepSeek launched its V4 AI model on April 24, adapted for Huawei chips.
Energy and sanctions dominated the earlier part of the month. Before the vote, Orbán and Slovakia's Robert Fico urged the EU to lift sanctions on Russian energy, with Fico calling the EU a "suicide ship". Hungary agreed to buy US oil after a meeting with JD Vance, and MOL bought $500 million worth. Slovakia filed a case at the EU Court of Justice against the ban on Russian gas and oil. Oil topped $100 a barrel amid fears of an Iranian blockade. The Commission warned Spain and Poland over fuel tax cuts, and Poland considered changes to its fuel price package.
Elsewhere, Poland's economic news covered its 42% gain in GDP per capita under EU membership, negative power prices for some users as renewables grew, Donald Tusk's support for "repolonization" of key industries, and a proposed windfall tax on energy firms. Poland also pressed for new European ways to finance defence spending. Czechia plans to extend operation of its Dukovany nuclear plant, and CEZ dismissed safety concerns over a switch to US nuclear fuel. Prime Minister Babiš said CEZ was seeking a deal on Azerbaijani gas. Agrofert was cleared to receive EU farm subsidies again, and Electrolux said it would close a factory in Hungary.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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