The Tisza Party has repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine joining the EU, despite trying to suggest they hold an independent position within the EPP. As previously reported, Gabriella Gerzsenyi, an MEP from Magyar’s party, recently revealed that an informal negotiation process began within the EPP in December 2024, with budget-related representatives meeting biweekly.
At one of the recent meetings, two key topics were discussed: EU enlargement and the Common Agricultural Policy.
The discussion on enlargement included scenarios where Ukraine and Moldova or a Western Balkan state could join the EU as early as 2030.
Gerzsenyi emphasized the need to prepare for these possible accessions in the next EU budget cycle, as new member states would immediately become eligible for EU funding.
Although party chief Peter Magyar has domestically repeatedly claimed to oppose Ukraine’s EU membership, the final question on the Tisza Party's pseudo-referendum still addressed that issue. A majority of his supporters backed Ukraine joining the EU. This is especially notable because Magyar claimed the survey results would shape a potential Tisza government program. The referendum was also misleading: several international media outlets cited it as evidence that Hungarians support Ukraine’s accession.
Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pointed to the Tisza Party's questionnaire as proof that Hungarians support Ukraine’s EU bid.
The Tisza Party’s pro-Ukraine stance is further evidenced by a vote this April in the European Parliament, where MEPs passed guidelines for the 2026 budget. These guidelines, backed by the EPP–liberal coalition, called for increased financial support to Ukraine and urged faster EU accession for Kyiv.
According to the official voting record, the following Tisza Party MEPs voted in favor: Dora David, Zoltan Tarr, Andras Kulja, Eszter Lakos, Gabriella Gerzsenyi and Kinga Kollar. Peter Magyar, however, was absent, as he has often been from his workplace, the European Parliament.
A symbolic moment also occurred at an extraordinary EP session in November 2024, when Dora David and Eszter Lakos appeared in the chamber wearing shirts depicting the Ukrainian flag and EU symbols.
Magyar Relies Heavily on the EPP
The European People’s Party and its controversial, anti-Hungarian leader, Manfred Weber, consistently champion Ukraine’s cause. Brussels-based outlet Politico revealed a previously secret, 12-page internal EPP rulebook. According to the document, members who don’t follow the party line get less speaking time and are barred from key positions in the Brussels bureaucracy. Even Zoltan Tarr, head of Tisza’s EP delegation, admitted that:
"In many respects, we rely on the EPP’s position.”
This makes it abundantly clear: Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party do not represent an independent stance within the EPP on the issue of Ukraine’s EU membership.
Cover Photo: Tisza Party chief Peter Magyar and European People's Party chief Manfred Weber (Photo: AFP)
