For more than 150 years, Poland and Hungary have been linked in a remarkable way.
The two countries supported each other in their efforts for independence. Freedom fighters from both countries rushed to each other’s aid in existential historical moments, such as the anti-Habsburg revolution of 1848.
In 1956, when Hungary underwent an anti-communist revolution, Poles spontaneously organized blood drives for victims of the Soviet invasion.
“Polish and Hungarian brothers” is a well-known proverb in both countries.
Since 2007, an official Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day has been designated, March 23.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was so impressed by Poles’ deep desire for freedom and their struggle against communism that he wrote his thesis as a law student in 1987 on “Polish social self-organization using the example of the Solidarity trade union.”
However, Orbán, of all people, has now brought relations between the two countries to an all-time low.
On December 19, he granted asylum to former Polish Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Romanowski, who is wanted under a European arrest warrant.
Political collision
This decision immediately led to a direct political clash between Poland and Hungary, whose relations had already deteriorated since the change of power in Poland in December 2023.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski described the move as “an act contrary to the basic principle of sincere cooperation” as stipulated in the EU treaties.
He also summoned the Polish ambassador to Hungary for “indefinite consultations” and summoned the Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw to deliver a note of protest to him.
This type of diplomatic escalation is extremely rare among European Union countries.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also likened Hungary under Orban to the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.
In May 2024, a Polish judge under investigation for abusing his position and leaking state secrets to Belarus fled.
“I did not expect that corrupt politicians fleeing justice would be able to choose between this [Belarusian President Alexander] Tusk said: Lukashenko and Orban.
“Rainbow Liberal Coalition”
The Hungarian Prime Minister had already indicated on December 19 that he would grant asylum to “Polish political refugees.”
In an interview with the pro-government conservative Hungarian news portal Mandiner, he also described the current Polish government as a “liberal rainbow coalition” that “uses the rule of law and legal means to take revenge on its political opponents.”
Orbán said Polish-Hungarian relations “are at their lowest point because the liberal Polish Rainbow Alliance is unable to distinguish between party policies and state policies.”
But in reality, the ruling coalition that includes Polish liberal-conservative Prime Minister Tusk is trying to do just the opposite.
She wants to untie the party-state politics that existed under the previous conservative national government and investigate corruption scandals.
One of the people at the center of the investigation is former Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski.
Increase immunity
Between 2019 and 2023, Romanowski was responsible for the Justice Fund which was designed to support victims of crime.
However, the prosecutor charged the politician with 11 criminal offences, including membership in a criminal organization, embezzlement and manipulation of the allocation of funds from the fund.
The total disputed funds amount to approximately PLN 112 million (about €25 million/$27.3 million).
The 48-year-old lawmaker from the former ruling party and now opposition Law and Justice Party was briefly arrested in July, but was later released.
As a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, he enjoyed immunity.
However, this immunity was lifted from the authority in October.
On December 9, a Warsaw court ordered Romanowski remanded in pretrial detention for three months.
Only by then had he gone into hiding and fled to Hungary.
On December 20, Romanowski posted on social media that resorting to a member of the Polish opposition was a “strong warning signal for the Tusk regime.”
He said he wanted to continue working from Budapest for a “sovereign, Christian and strong Poland.” His goal is to “abolish the Tusk regime.”
More asylum cases
This case exemplifies the serious level of problems facing the Tusk government in restoring the rule of law in Poland.
Law and Justice supporters still strongly dominate Poland’s judiciary, including the Constitutional Court.
Moreover, President Andrzej Duda, who is close to PiS, continues to delay all government reforms as much as possible.
This could give an idea of the problems Hungary will face after a possible change of power.
Moreover, this is not the first time that a high-profile corruption suspect has been granted asylum in Hungary.
In 2018, former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski fled to Hungary, where he was granted asylum.
In recent years, the Hungarian government has also granted temporary asylum to several politicians from the Hungarian minority in Romania.
As for Poland, the escape of a member of parliament sets a precedent, as commented by the conservative Polish daily Rzeczpospolita.
The newspaper wrote, “Romanovsky asked for help from an ally of Putin. It is shameful to be an ally of an ally of Putin.”
In Hungary, the left-wing portal “Mers” published the headline “Hungarian government uses refugee protection to save its political allies.”
Open to more Polish politicians
Polish and Hungarian media are now speculating which PiS politician will be the next to leave for Hungary.
It may be MEP Daniel Obajtek, former head of the Polish oil company Orlen.
For years, Obajtek has been implicated in numerous corruption scandals.
Among other charges, he faces trial for rigging Orlin’s tenders.
Orban sparked speculation about Obajtek on December 22 during his annual end-of-year press conference.
After a female journalist specifically asked about Orlen’s former president, the Hungarian prime minister – known for his misogynistic remarks – said: “I don’t know if we’re thinking of the same man because you never know which man is in it.” “Woman’s head.”
But Orban said that since Obajtek is a member of the European Parliament, there is no need to deal with him, referring to the man’s immunity.
“In general, we have to be prepared for the fact that there will and can be more cases like this,” the Prime Minister added.
This article was originally written in German.
