Budapest — Hungary has granted political asylum to former Polish deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski now under investigation in Poland on claims of misuse of public funds.
But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff Gergely Gulyas accused the Polish government of hounding its political opponents.
The angry Warsaw government denounced the “hostile act” contrary to the principle of loyal co-operation in the EU.
“In response to such action, the Hungarian ambassador to Poland will be summoned to the ministry of foreign affairs today and will receive a formal protest,” the Polish foreign ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said that if Hungary failed to fulfil its European obligations, Poland would ask the European Commission to initiate proceedings against it.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government said prosecutors would investigate wrongdoing under the previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government that left office in 2023, which would previously have been covered up.
Romanowski, a former deputy justice minister who was detained in a probe into misuse of public funds, was released in July after the president of a European rights assembly said he had immunity as a member of the body. He denies the accusations.
Gulyas said Hungary’s decision was in line with Hungarian and EU laws.
“The actions of Tusk’s government have created a situation where the Polish government disregards its constitutional court’s rulings ... and uses criminal law as a tool against political opponents,” said Gulyas.
Romanowski’s arrest raised serious concern about fair treatment and political bias in Polish legal proceedings, he said.
Polish opposition MPs, including Romanowski, accuse Tusk’s government of conducting a political witch-hunt.
Reuters
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