Published on 12/10/2026 – 14:42 GMT+2
Ukraine’s parliament passed a landmark law strengthening minority rights on Monday, a significant step designed to ease years of bilateral tensions with Hungary and unlock crucial progress in Kyiv’s pursuit of EU accession talks.
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The legislation, approved by 266 of the 450 deputies in the Verkhovna Rada, enhances protections for minority languages in educational settings and cultural events, addressing long-standing grievances.
The rights of the approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians residing in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region have strained relations between Budapest and Kyiv for years. Under the previous government led by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary had blocked progress in Ukraine’s EU accession talks since 2023, citing these unresolved minority issues.
In June, Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, agreed to an 11-point action plan with Ukraine and lifted Budapest’s veto on opening the first two negotiating clusters. However, further advancement was made conditional on Kyiv formally adopting the minority rights legislation.
Following Monday’s parliamentary vote, diplomatic sources expect Hungary to greenlight the opening of two additional clusters—covering the internal market and competitiveness—at an intergovernmental conference scheduled for Tuesday.
This legislative breakthrough could also pave the way for a historic first bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Magyar announced over the weekend that the two leaders might convene on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday. An earlier meeting had been postponed after Magyar conditioned the talks on demonstrable progress regarding minority rights.
Relations between Hungary and Ukraine deteriorated sharply during Orbán’s tenure, with his administration repeatedly clashing with Kyiv and obstructing its EU membership bid. Orbán also ran a highly critical anti-Ukraine campaign, framing Kyiv as a threat to European security.
Following his landslide election victory in April, Magyar, who assumed office in May, promised a more pragmatic and constructive approach to relations with Ukraine.
However, tensions resurfaced in September when Magyar clashed with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha over Hungary’s inclusion in President Zelenskyy’s Carpathian summit, which aimed at fostering regional development. Magyar criticized Kyiv for listing Hungary as a participant without prior consultation, while Sybiha accused him of echoing Orbán’s confrontational rhetoric.
