Former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski has been granted political asylum in Hungary, as announced by Gergely Gulyás, the Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office.
In an interview with Mandiner, published on Thursday, Gulyás stated that while he typically refrains from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, it must be acknowledged that Poland has been experiencing a crisis of the rule of law since Donald Tusk’s government took office.
As an example, Gulyás noted that the Polish government has failed to enforce the decisions of the Polish Constitutional Court and has used criminal law against political opponents, disregarding immunity and presidential pardons.
‘Marcin Romanowski, Deputy Minister of Justice in the previous cabinet in Warsaw, came to Hungary and requested political asylum from the Hungarian state. He has received it, in accordance with Hungarian and EU law,’ Gergely Gulyás stated.
Gulyás highlighted concrete evidence of a lack of due process in Romanowski’s case. He noted that Romanowski was arrested this summer despite holding immunity as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. ‘He was released only after the President of the Assembly lodged a formal protest with the Polish authorities and a Polish court confirmed that the arrest was unlawful,’ Gulyás explained.
Romanowski, who served as Deputy Minister of Justice from 2019 to 2023, is accused of misappropriating funds from the Justice Fund under his ministry during the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government.
A Warsaw district court recently issued a European arrest warrant against Romanowski. The charges against him include eleven alleged criminal offences, such as participating in an organized criminal group that caused damage to state property.
Romanowski has denied the allegations, calling the prosecution proceedings against him unlawful and claiming that the Sejm’s (the Polish legislation) decision to waive his parliamentary immunity was invalid.
Gergely Gulyás emphasized that Romanowski’s case qualifies as political asylum, which can be granted when there is no assurance beyond any doubt that an impartial assessment, free from political influence, will be provided in the applicant’s home country. According to Gulyás, this is indeed the situation in Poland.
Orbán Balázs, political director to the Hungarian prime minister, also commented the news, expressing concern over the actions of Donald Tusk’s government, which he described as engaging in lawfare against its opponents. ‘This isn’t the first time Hungary has taken in Polish refugees, and while we are saddened that it is needed again, justice demands we act,’ Orbán concluded.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski criticized Hungary’s decision, calling it a hostile move—a sentiment, according to him, also echoed by the European Union. ‘Tomorrow we will announce our decision,’ Sikorski stated in a post on X on Thursday.
Jerzy Kwaśniewski, President of the Board and co-founder of the Ordo Iuris Institute in Poland, responded to Sikorski’s remarks by drawing comparisons with the state of democracy and the rule of law in Hungary. Kwaśniewski pointed out that, while the opposition in Hungary does not feel threatened by Viktor Orbán’s government and is actively preparing for elections, Polish opposition figures are compelled to seek protection abroad from the ‘Tusk‘s Polish regime.’
Update:
In response to the Hungarian government’s decision, Poland summoned its ambassador to Budapest for consultations on Friday. The announcement was made on the website of the Polish Foreign Ministry. The statement further warned that ‘if Hungary breaches its European commitments,’ Warsaw will refer the matter to the European Commission to initiate proceedings against Hungary under Article 259 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
Related articles:
