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Poland Recalls Ambassador to Hungary

Romanowski Under Investigation by Polish Prosecutors on 11 Charges, Including Suspicion of Membership in a Criminal Organization

Dec 20, 2024 16:59 168

Tensions between Poland and Hungary have increased after Hungary granted asylum to a former Polish MP from the right-wing populist party "PiS", wanted by Polish authorities with a European arrest warrant, DPA reported, BTA reported.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman announced today that the Polish ambassador in Budapest was immediately recalled to Warsaw for an indefinite period. Yesterday, Hungary granted asylum to former Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski. A Warsaw court earlier approved the prosecutors' request to issue a European arrest warrant for the 48-year-old man.

In addition, Poland summoned the Hungarian ambassador to the country and handed him a note of protest. Romanowski is being investigated by Polish prosecutors on 11 charges, including suspected membership of a criminal organization.

There are allegations that while he was deputy justice minister, he diverted millions of zlotys from a fund for victims of crime to projects that then-justice minister Zbigniew Żobro said would have benefited the party. Romanowski has denied all charges.

The conservative Law and Justice party ruled Poland from 2015 to 2023 and is currently the largest opposition party. During that time, it restructured a significant part of the judiciary, which put it at odds with the European Commission. The current government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's center-left coalition, is working to reverse controversial judicial reforms introduced by the previous government.