WARSAW, (TDI): Poland said that it had barred Hungary’s ambassador from attending the opening gala of its EU presidency, following a diplomatic dispute over a former Polish minister.
Hungary’s response to the decision was one of disdain, with Hungarian officials calling it “pathetic and childish.”
The controversy centers around Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish lawmaker and deputy justice minister in the previous right-wing government of the Law and Justice (PiS) party.
In December, Romanowski, facing corruption charges and an arrest warrant in Poland, fled to Hungary and was granted political asylum by the Hungarian government, which is led by PiS ally Viktor Orbán.
Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, condemned Hungary’s actions, labeling it a “hostile act.” In response, he instructed the Hungarian ambassador that he was no longer welcome at the event marking Poland’s assumption of the rotating EU presidency.
Poland’s Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, confirmed this decision to the TVP state broadcaster.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticized Poland’s move, describing it as “pathetic and childish” in a statement to AFP.
The gala, scheduled in Warsaw, will see the attendance of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and European Council President Antonio Costa, as Poland takes over the EU presidency from Hungary for a six-month term.
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The dispute between Poland and Hungary comes amid a shift in Polish politics, following the October 2023 elections, which resulted in the ousting of the PiS government and the rise of a pro-European coalition led by Tusk.
Romanowski, who was charged with 11 criminal offenses, including alleged involvement in organized crime and embezzlement of almost 40 million euros ($41 million) from a crime victim fund, was initially arrested by Polish authorities in July.
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However, he was released after the courts ruled his detention was illegal due to his parliamentary immunity as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Romanowski disappeared after PACE revoked his immunity in early December, and a court issued an arrest warrant.
