00:00EU leaders are jubilant over the outcome of the Hungarian elections after 16 years of working
00:05alongside an uncooperative Eurosceptic, Viktor Orban. Congratulations, messages have been pouring
00:10in from all across the continent, from Kiev to Dublin. For more on this new chapter of EU history,
00:15we can turn to Jean-Michel, the former EU Council President and former Belgian Prime Minister.
00:19Welcome. Good morning. Tell us your reaction to the news.
00:23That's a very important moment for the EU and it's also a historic moment for the future of
00:27Hungary and I feel that based on this result, it will be possible to have more European unity
00:32and also I think it's a clear signal of support for Ukraine that's very important in the current
00:38context and let's be clear, it's also a defeat for the White House. And did you expect this?
00:44Yeah, look, the polls gave the indication that we are close to such a result but until the end we
00:50never know and today I think that that's an important step for more European unity and I
00:57hope that it will allow the European Union to be more integrated, to be more ambitious and
01:03finally to make the decisions to make this European sovereignty not a slogan but to make it a reality.
01:10Well, you've spent many EU summits inside there with Viktor Orban. Will we see less drama now that he's gone?
01:17I don't know because in fact the stability of Viktor Orban is not any more member of the European
01:23Council that suddenly everything will be easy. We found that within the European Union we have to be
01:27lucid about that. But it's absolutely clear that on a very stupid, especially our relationship with
01:33Ukraine, our relationship with the White House, the role played by Hungary was a disturbing role.
01:39And you mentioned Ukraine. Of course, the 90 billion euro loan is still being held because of Hungary.
01:45Could that be released now with the change of government?
01:47There is no reason anymore to wait and I expect the European institutions to make bold and
01:52great decisions and it's absolutely essential because I think it's more than ever the Ukraine
01:57deserve our support.
01:59And what about the frozen funding for Hungary that's also been on hold because of rule of law
02:05issues and corruption issues in Hungary? Should that be turned around now?
02:07Look, I'm a strong supporter of the rule of law. And now we have to see how the new government
02:13in Hungary will manage and will put in place reforms that are needed, will give the signals
02:19that what they have announced before the elections will become a reality in the country, which will
02:25allow, I suppose, the European institutions to make decisions in favour of unleashing the
02:33financing for Hungary.
02:34And Donald Trump sent J.D. Vance to Budapest last week. But it seems that the MAGA move
02:40is just not so attractive for Europeans.
02:42It made me very happy because it means that the European voters, at least the Hungarian voters,
02:46are not intimidated, are not destabilised, even when we see and when we face such a level
02:53of political interferences. I don't remember in European history an American president participating
03:00in a political meeting through a phone call to express such a level of support.
03:06Was that far an interference?
03:07That's an interference, for sure. That's something which is not usual among allies,
03:12among friends. We don't act that way. And it means, I repeat again what I said several
03:17times, that the list of our differences with the United States is getting longer and longer.
03:23And I don't blame the United States. I just think that the EU, we have to face our own
03:29responsibilities and to make our own decisions and to be more assertive in promoting our values
03:34and defending our interests.
03:36Okay. Let's see if anything changes.
03:37Charles Michel, former Belgian Prime Minister and former EU Council President, thank you
03:40so much for speaking to us here on Euronews on Europe Today.
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