Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó made a low-profile visit to Prague on Thursday, meeting privately with opposition leaders while steering clear of the Czech government—a move that didn’t go unnoticed.
Instead of engaging with Czech officials, Szijjártó sat down with his allies from the Patriots for Europe group, former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and MP Karel Havlíček (both ANO, PfE). Speaking briefly with reporters who caught up with him, he didn’t mince words about the state of Hungarian-Czech relations.
“Unfortunately, the current Czech government doesn’t seem to prioritize good ties with Hungary, though we certainly do,” Szijjártó remarked. He also expressed optimism about rekindling cooperation with Babiš, who is favored to reclaim leadership in this autumn’s elections.
Beyond political talks, Szijjártó visited the Church of St. Henry and St. Kunhuta, where he met with Zoltán Balga, the Hungarian-Slovak parish priest. He also held discussions with executives from Innogy, the energy company acquired by Hungary’s MVM in 2020.
Though officially labeled a private trip, reported that Szijjártó arrived with an entourage, police escort, a motorcade, and even a pair of photographers. The Hungarian government and its embassy remained tight-lipped about the visit.
Czech officials weren’t thrilled. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR) called the visit “inappropriate” and not exactly a step toward strengthening diplomatic ties. Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský voiced his frustration:
“If anyone’s undermining relations, it’s clearly the Hungarian government. Their foreign minister sneaks into the country, avoids our officials, and doesn’t even give us a heads-up about his visit.”
With tensions simmering, all eyes are on the Czech elections to see if a Babiš victory shifts the political landscape—and potentially resets Hungarian-Czech relations.
