Former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski has been appointed head of the newly established Hungarian–Polish Freedom Institute. The announcement was made at a joint press conference in Budapest, featuring Romanowski; Miklós Szánthó, Director General of the Budapest-based conservative think tank, the Center for Fundamental Rights, which founded the new institute; and Chris Farrell, Director of Investigations and Research at the American conservative rights advocacy organization Judicial Watch.
According to Szánthó, the Polish–Hungarian Freedom Institute aims to analyse current political developments in Poland, which he described as a ‘globalist attack’ on the fundamental values of Western civilization. He referred to what he characterized as a political war waged by the Donald Tusk-led Polish government against Law and Justice (PiS) officials, conservative media, and basically all dissenting voices. Szánthó argued that under Tusk, the state of the rule of law in Poland has clearly deteriorated, citing politically motivated legal proceedings against numerous former PiS government officials, including former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, Marcin Romanowski, and former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Romanowski is currently residing in Hungary, having been granted political asylum by the Hungarian government in December 2024. Polish prosecutors have accused him of allocating funds—intended to support victims of abuse—to ineligible organisations, prioritizing political allies in the distribution of grants, and using public money to purchase spyware illegally, among other charges. Romanowski has consistently denied all allegations, claiming the prosecution is unlawful and citing a lack of due process. Following these charges, a Warsaw district court issued a European Arrest Warrant for him, after which he fled to Hungary.
‘The Polish example is an ominous warning that wherever globalists come to power, freedom is eliminated, and the rule of law and democracy are dismantled,’ Szánthó warned. He added that the Hungarian opposition is preparing to follow the same path as Tusk if they win next year’s election. ‘Brussels expects the same from Péter Magyar as they expect from Donald Tusk in Poland: the abolition of freedom, the servicing of globalist aspirations, support for war, and the accelerated EU membership of Ukraine,’ he pointed out.
Szánthó explained that the Polish–Hungarian Freedom Institute will work to expose the ‘local but widespread intrigue of the globalists’ in Poland, to raise international awareness of the ‘liberal-fascism’ of the Warsaw government, and to highlight what would await Hungary if ‘the servile servants of Brussels’ were to take decision-making positions.
‘Wherever globalists come to power, freedom is eliminated, and the rule of law and democracy are dismantled’
Romanowski elaborated on the institute’s activities, announcing that their first report has already been published. One key finding, he said, is that Poland is moving towards an autocratic regime. ‘Poland has effectively become a laboratory for globalists, where they are implementing a system of repression and trying to suppress sovereignty,’ he said. Romanowski accused the Tusk government of dismantling the system of institutional checks and balances, taking control of public media, the courts, and the prosecutor’s office, ignoring rulings from the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, and effectively abolishing democracy in Poland.
Romanowski also highlighted the systematic efforts of the Polish government to restrict freedom of the media and social media. He said that a political witch-hunt is under way, targeting not only political actors but also public servants. He dismissed the charges against him as absurd and pointed out that Interpol had refused Poland’s request for a red notice for his arrest, citing political motivations.
Commenting on Romanowski’s case, Chris Farrell urged the public to ‘take a stand against actions that seek to curtail freedom of expression, and do so as soon as possible, before it is too late’. He said that Judicial Watch had launched its own investigation into the case, concluding that it fits a broader pattern across Europe of silencing conservative voices defending national sovereignty, democratic self-government, and traditional values. ‘Tactics that seek to silence critical voices risk building a soft authoritarian regime,’ Farrell warned.
The report mentioned by Romanowski, titled ‘Sovereignty or (Semi)Dictatorship? Poland, the Testing Ground for Globalists’, notes that the only remaining effective constitutional brake is the office of the President of the Republic. President Andrzej Duda, the report says, has been instrumental in blocking the government’s attempts to reverse key reforms achieved during eight years of right-wing governance in welfare, national economic policy, family protection, justice, and sovereignty.
As the presidential election approaches in late May or early June, the stakes are extremely high. On the one hand, the Polish head of state plays a crucial role in the appointment of constitutional leaders; on the other, the president holds veto power, which can only be overridden by a three-fifths majority in the Sejm—a majority the current governing coalition does not possess.
If the PiS-backed candidate Karol Nawrocki wins and assumes the presidency, political analysts predict that the fragile government coalition could collapse, potentially leading to legal accountability for past actions. However, if Donald Tusk’s candidate, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, prevails, the report warns that the dismantling of the rule of law, the elimination of opposition forces, and the consolidation of government control over Poland’s institutions would likely accelerate.
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