Visegrad Group in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Visegrad Group countries, May 2026 began with a change of government in Hungary. On May 9 Viktor Orbán left office and Péter Magyar took over as prime minister; the handover was completed on May 14 with Orbán absent. Magyar ended the wartime state of emergency, asked the Orbán-era president to resign, and said Orbán would get no severance pay. His governing party moved to limit prime ministerial terms, and parliament voted on May 27 to keep Hungary in the International Criminal Court. Hungary summoned the Russian ambassador over strikes on western Ukraine, Magyar signalled openness to Ukraine's accession talks, and Budapest and Kyiv moved to resolve a dispute over minority rights. On May 29 Magyar said Hungary and the European Union were close to a deal on frozen funds.
Slovakia's Robert Fico travelled to Moscow and met Vladimir Putin on May 9, conveying a message from Volodymyr Zelensky. He said EU sanctions boost Russia's self-sufficiency and that the war was nearing its end. Earlier, Zelensky said Fico would back Ukraine's EU membership. Slovak diplomat Ivan Korčok said Slovakia is "very isolated" in Europe.
In Poland, former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, wanted at home, confirmed on May 11 that he had fled from Hungary to the United States. Reuters reported that a senior American official helped him obtain a visa, and Democrats asked Marco Rubio to explain it. Poland signalled it may review its ties with Washington. Donald Tusk warned that NATO's own disintegration is its greatest threat and said Poland would not accept US troops withdrawn from elsewhere in Europe; on May 22 NATO allies welcomed President Trump's reversal on withdrawing US troops from Poland. Poland signed a defence treaty with the United Kingdom on May 27 and refused to evacuate its diplomats from Kyiv.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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