Hungary has set an ambition to join the eurozone by around 2030, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said, following talks in Budapest with Eurogroup President and Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis.

Magyar said euro adoption is a central economic goal for his government. He argued that meeting the Maastricht convergence criteria would strengthen Hungary’s economy by improving stability, restoring investor confidence, and making the country more predictable for business.

He also said Hungary currently does not meet any of the formal euro adoption requirements, and noted that when Hungary joined the EU 22 years ago it was, in several respects, closer to eurozone entry than it is today.

At a joint press conference, Magyar said adopting the euro would constrain future governments from pursuing what he portrayed as irresponsible fiscal policy. He accused the previous Orbán administration of “gambling away” savings, spending public money on prestige projects, and allowing inflation to erode household purchasing power, adding that misleading presentations about the state of public finances undermined trust. In his view, eurozone rules would make such approaches impossible going forward.

Magyar claimed there is strong public support for the euro, saying polling puts backing at roughly 70–75%, which he said is the highest level among EU member states that have not yet adopted the common currency. He attributed this shift to rising concerns about staying outside the eurozone, including inflation, unpredictability, weaker investment, and lower living standards.

However, the European Commission’s latest convergence assessment says Hungary still falls short of the criteria for euro adoption. The government, while acknowledging the gap, says it views 2030 as an achievable long-term target and argues the process of convergence itself will improve Hungary’s economic foundations.