Hungary’s election enters crucial final days

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.4 • 204 Ratings

🗓️ 9 April 2026

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s three days until the Hungarian election, and opposition leader Péter Magyar appears poised to end PM Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. If that happens, some in the Brussels bubble hope Magyar will take steps to improve Hungary’s strained relationship with the EU. But on today’s episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and EU Policy Editor Sarah Wheaton explain why that won’t be easy — with the chore of unblocking billions of euros in frozen EU funds representing just one example. Then, the latest developments from the war in Iran suggest Europe may again be left footing the bill for controversial actions by U.S. President Donald Trump. Last, the Commission’s DiscoverEU initiative is offering free train passes to 18-year-olds who correctly answer a short quiz. Sarah tests Zoya on one of last year’s questions. Do you have a harrowing or pleasant train travel experience within Europe?Send us a WhatsApp message here or dial +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Jamie Lang and Sophie Haboo have arrived on Disney Plus.
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0:09.0	And we're bringing you on our journey through everything.
0:12.0	I have no idea what we're doing.
0:13.0	Thank you. I have more of an idea.
0:15.0	I think of it like a Tamagocchi.
0:17.0	At the end of all of this...
0:20.0	We're going to have a little baby. Raising Chelsea, a Hulu
0:23.7	original series streaming exclusively on Disney Plus. 18 plus subscription required T's and T supply.
0:30.2	Good morning. It's Thursday, April 9 and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast.
0:45.8	The vibe in Brussels today is expectant as EU officials consider the odds of a new Hungarian leader around the summit table.
0:49.2	Also on the pod, Europe is once again being left to pick up the pieces and pay the bill after a Trump-Iran deal.
0:57.8	And the European Commission is giving thousands of 18-year-olds the chance to travel around Europe by train.
1:03.1	For free!
1:05.2	I'm Zoya Shafdanovich, and with me today is our policy editor, Sarah Wheaton.
1:09.0	Thanks for having me here, Zoya.
1:10.4	Thanks, Sarah. Hey, this is a fun one for me because it's my last podcast for a couple of weeks. I'm going back to Australia. I'm jealous. You can come in my suitcase. Come see a quaker. What? I'm almost scared to ask, but what is a quaker? It is a smiling creature from the land down under.
1:28.4	Look it up, everyone. It's super cute. You won't be sorry.
1:31.4	All right.
1:32.0	Well, speaking of things you won't be sorry about hearing about, it's the Hungarian
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