Overview
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received former German chancellor Angela Merkel at his Buda residence and shared photos of the meeting on Facebook and X.
- Orbán’s posts welcomed Merkel with the line, “Once a Chancellor, always a Chancellor,” alongside images overlooking the Danube.
- Merkel was in Budapest to present the Hungarian translation of her memoir at Central European University.
- No information was released about what the two discussed or whether any outcomes were agreed.
- The public welcome drew criticism in Hungarian conservative circles and on social media, reflecting long-running tensions since their 2015 clash over migration policy and Hungary’s subsequent border and asylum measures.