Only EU chiefs attend Hungary's 1956 revolution anniversary in Budapest after late invitations and spats

Summary

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar had hoped to host top leaders in Budapest for the 70th anniversary of the 1956 revolution. Last-minute invitations and spats with Paris and Kyiv kept Emmanuel Macron, Donald Tusk and Volodymyr Zelenskyy away, leaving only EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa attending. European Commission President von der Leyen joined other foreign guests in Budapest to mark the 70th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 anti-Soviet uprising, which ABC News describes as signaling a new chapter in relations after the ouster of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Timeline

1. Euronews

   23 Oct 2026, 13:38 UTCSource ↗

   Hungary's 1956 commemoration in Budapest had a modest guest list, as late invitations and spats with Paris and Kyiv kept Macron, Tusk and Zelenskyy away, leaving only EU chiefs von der Leyen and Costa attending.

2. ABC News

   23 Oct 2026, 18:54 UTCSource ↗

   European leaders gathered in Budapest for the 70th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 anti-Soviet uprising, with von der Leyen joining other foreign guests, which ABC News says signals a new chapter in EU ties under Magyar after the ouster of Viktor Orbán.