Helen Pitt

Today, is the EU back in vogue?

Now, I don't know how good your Hungarian is, but that is the sound of tens of thousands of Hungarians on the banks of the River Danube chanting, Europe!

It's fair to say that the EU is having a bit of a moment.

After Viktor Orban was defeated in Hungary on Sunday, his rival, Peter Magyar, promised to repair relations with the EU.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, wasted no time in celebrating Orbán's fall.

But it's not just the new prime minister of Hungary seeking a better relationship with the EU.

Almost 10 years after the Brexit referendum, Keir Starmer is trying to reconnect with Europe too.

But does Europe want us back?

And how strong is the EU anyway, facing a future without American support and with a belligerent Russia on its borders?

From The Guardian, I'm Helen Pitt.

Today in Focus, the EU after Orban and with Starmer?

Lisa O'Carroll, welcome back to Today in Focus.

It's been a while.

Can you just start by telling me why was the Hungarian election results celebrated so wildly by EU leaders?

Yeah, and I'm not sure I've ever seen Ursula von der Leyen look so happy.

She was coming out with phrases like, Europe's heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.

You had the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hailing Madja's win as a triumph for European values.

Why did it matter so much to these big EU figures that Orban was defeated?

Right.

Did he know that they were going to do that or was it sneaky?