The European Commission has begun “immediate engagement” with Peter Magyar following his landslide victory in Hungary’s election, urging him to repair relations with Ukraine and implement long-awaited reforms to unlock 35 billion euros in frozen EU funds.

Axar.az informs, citing Financial Times, that the removal of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Russia friendly Eurosceptic government on Sunday has sparked renewed optimism in Brussels and other European capitals about Budapest’s future role in the EU and NATO after years of illiberal democracy that weakened democratic values and obstructed common policies.

According to two EU diplomats, member states are closely watching whether Magyar will unblock a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine and lift Hungary’s veto on the next round of sanctions against Russia, seen as key indicators of his willingness to rebuild strained relations with the bloc.

EU officials have already begun preparations for the Ukraine loan to move forward, sources told the Financial Times, aiming to ensure that funds can be disbursed quickly once Magyar is formally sworn into office.

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