While Hungarians have been cheering the new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, politicians and stakeholders in Brussels have been debating a new set of measures aimed at changing the European Union (EU)’s landmark Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act.
For the latest, Euronews’ weekly podcast Brussels, My Love? talked to Teresa Küchler, Svenska Dagbladet’s European correspondent and Euronews’ political reporters Luca Bertuzzi and Sandor Zsiros.
The start of a new political chapter in Hungary
Last Saturday (9 May) the leader of the centre-right, pro-European Tsiza party, Péter Magyar, was sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule over the country.
Magyar was welcomed by a cheering crowd, celebrating the start of a new political chapter for Hungary.
“There is a sort of optimism in the country that things will get done now very quickly,” Zsiros told Euronews.
Zsiros joined the podcast after a few weeks in Hungary and reported many changes in his home-country. “I’m really surprised how fast Orbán’s system is collapsing,” he said. “Orbán’s media machine, which we sometimes call propaganda, has disappeared,” he added.
Magyar, once a member of Orbán’s political party, has promised to revive Hungary-EU relations, unblock frozen EU funds to Budapest, and hold accountable those who played a role in corruption during the regime of his predecessor.
“We knew that he can be a nationalist, he can be a populist. We don’t care because as long as he abides by EU law, he’s just like any other leader,” co-panelist Teresa Küchler said, explaining that although Magyar has some points in common with his predecessor, he could change Brussels–Budapest relations.
And Magyar’s government is quite unique: “Many of them [ministers] are coming from international business circles and have a very, very huge background in international business, and they are not doing politics for money,” Zsiros told Euronews.
The AI Omnibus
But last week was not only marked by the Budapest ceremony.
In the early hours of Thursday (7 May), the European Parliament and the European Council reached a provisional agreement on the AI Omnibus, an effort to simplify AI rules.
The main change imposed by the Omnibus would be a delay in the application of key provisions of the AI Act, particularly the due diligence requirements for high-risk AI systems.
However, the AI Omnibus has already drawn some criticism from trade and consumer unions.
“The risk is that there could be some gaps left open in terms of how risk associated with AI and human-machinery interaction are addressed, some call it arbitrary that certain sectors have softer rules than others,” Bertuzzi explained.
And the industry representatives are nor particularly thrilled either: “They were hoping to get more,” Bertuzzi said underlining that the industry had been hoping for a more ambitious change.
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Additional sources • Georgios Leivaditis, sound editing and mixing.