Diplomatic spat erupts after Hungary gives asylum to Polish politician suspected of corruption

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Hungary has given political asylum to a Polish opposition politician who is wanted on suspicions of corruption, triggering a diplomatic spat that worsened on Friday.

Poland's government decried Hungary's decision as a “hostile act,” and Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that he was dismayed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's decision to shelter a man being sought on suspicions of defrauding the state of millions of zlotys.

The Polish Foreign Ministry said Friday morning that it has summoned its ambassador to Hungary back home for “indefinite consultations.” It also summoned the Hungarian ambassador in Warsaw to give him a protest note.

The matter centers on the case of a former deputy justice minister, Marcin Romanowski, but also reveals a clash over rule of law and democracy.

Tusk took office last year vowing to restore democratic norms and fight corruption that has prevailed under the national conservative government of Law and Justice.

As part of that effort, his government has been seeking to bring to justice some former government officials who allegedly broke the law during Law and Justice's eight years in office, from 2015 to 2023.

“I did not expect corrupt politicians escaping justice would be able to choose between (Belarusian President Alexander) Lukashenko and Orbán,” Tusk said on Friday, an apparent reference to the case of a Polish judge who fled to Belarus this year.

Hungary's government — which is aligned with Poland's Law and Justice party — on Thursday offered political asylum to Romanowski, who is wanted under a European arrest warrant.

Romanowski through his lawyer argues that he is the victim of political retribution by Tusk's government.

Gergely Gulyás, Orbán’s chief of staff, said that Budapest believed that Romanowski would not receive a fair trial in Poland.

Both Poland and Hungary are members of the 27-member European Union, and Poland believes Budapest's move is "an action contrary to the fundamental principle of loyal cooperation” as laid out in the EU treaties.

“We consider the decision of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government to grant political asylum to Marcin Romanowski, wanted under the European Arrest Warrant, to be an act hostile towards the Republic of Poland and contrary to the elementary principles binding on the member states of the European Union,” the ministry said.

European Commission spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker said at a briefing in Brussels on Friday that EU member states are obliged to execute European arrest warrants, meaning that Hungary should send Romanowski back to Poland to face justice, though he refused to comment on the specifics of the case.

The Polish prosecutor's office has accused Romanowski of committing 11 crimes, including criminal group and rigging tenders, and the misappropriation of millions.

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Bálint Dömötör contributed to this report from Budapest, Hungary.