Relationship dossier
Germany
Hungary
Relationship assessment
A substantial partnership accompanied by recurring disputes over rule of law, migration and European security policy.
Germany toward Hungary
+20The German government has sustained bilateral cooperation with Hungary through the 1992 treaty of friendship and cooperation and the strategic partnership launched in 2004. Germany also works with Hungary through EU and NATO institutions, while criticizing Hungarian rule-of-law policies and disputing aspects of its EU policy.
Hungary toward Germany
+20The Hungarian government has maintained the bilateral treaty and strategic partnership with Germany and cooperates with it in EU and NATO settings. Disagreements over rule of law, migration and Hungary’s positions on Russia and support for Ukraine have strained relations with Berlin.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship rests on durable bilateral arrangements and cooperation within European and transatlantic institutions, alongside extensive economic interdependence. Recurring disputes over rule of law and major EU foreign-policy questions prevent the partnership from being consistently close.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Germany and Hungary maintain a substantial bilateral partnership, supported by a 1992 treaty of friendship and cooperation and a strategic partnership launched in 2004. Their governments also cooperate within the EU and NATO. Relations face recurring friction over Hungary’s rule-of-law policies and differences on migration, Russia and support for Ukraine, while economic ties reinforce the broader relationship.
Areas of tension
- German criticism of Hungarian rule-of-law policies and disputes over EU responses to them.
- Differences over migration policy and EU asylum arrangements.
- Disagreements over Hungary’s positions on Russia, sanctions and support for Ukraine.
Key developments
Germany and Hungary signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.
Germany and Hungary established a strategic partnership.
The two governments upgraded their strategic partnership, reaffirming bilateral cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation under the strategic partnership are unclear.
- The durability of cooperation on security and EU policy amid disagreements over Russia and Ukraine is uncertain.