Hungary called Poland’s decision not to invite Orbán to an event on the occasion of the EU Council presidency “deplorable”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary reacted sharply to Poland’s decision not to invite Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the ceremony marking the beginning of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union. Zoltan Kovacs, representative of the Hungarian government stated, that the decision is “pathetic” and “childishly short-sighted,” quoting Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó.
The situation worsened due to the actions of the Hungarian authorities, which granted political asylum to the former Deputy Minister of Justice of Poland, Marcin Romanowski. The Polish side accuses him of eleven crimes, including misappropriation of the funds of the Ministry of Justice. The Polish authorities believe that granting asylum to Romanovsky is a direct violation of the principles of cooperation between EU member states.
Poland’s Deputy Minister for European Affairs Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka confirmed that the decision not to invite Orbán was made because of Hungary’s actions regarding Romanowski. According to her, this was a necessary step against the background of actions that Poland views as undermining trust and partnership between the two countries.
Earlier, Romanovsky’s lawyer stated that his client cannot count on a fair trial in Poland due to the “political involvement” of some judges. In response, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called Hungary’s actions a “hostile act” that violates the principles of European solidarity.
This situation became another demonstration of tension in relations between the two countries, which were previously considered allies on many issues within the EU. The further development of the conflict may have serious consequences both for bilateral relations and for the general atmosphere of cooperation within the European Union.
