Romanowski “not the last”
Orban provokes asylum for PiS politicians
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Hungary grants asylum to Polish former State Secretary Marcin Romanowski, causing diplomatic tensions. Poland describes Orban's actions as a “hostile act”, but the Hungarian head of government holds out the prospect of similar decisions in the future.
After Hungary's controversial decision to grant asylum to a Polish ex-government politician wanted in Poland on suspicion of corruption, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has promised similar steps in the future. “I'm not telling you a secret when I say that I don't think he will be the last,” said Orban at his annual press conference, referring to the former Polish Justice State Secretary Macin Romanowski from the right-wing nationalist former ruling party PiS.
The Polish government summoned the Hungarian ambassador in Warsaw and recalled its own ambassador on Friday because of the incident. She viewed it as a “hostile act” that Hungary granted Romanowski “political asylum,” according to the Hungarian government.
The right-wing nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Orban said at his press conference that he wanted to “keep the conflicts with Poland at a manageable level” and would therefore not comment further on the state of the rule of law in the country. At the same time, he said Hungary had prepared a “large, thorough study” on the issue on which the asylum decision for Romanowski was based.
Allegation of embezzlement
The Polish public prosecutor's office accuses Romanowski, among other things, of having, as Secretary of State for Justice in the former Pis government, attempted to embezzle almost 40 million euros from an aid fund for crime victims that he managed. Among other things, he is being investigated for membership in a criminal organization.
Romanowski was initially arrested in Poland, but was then released. Polish courts had ruled his detention illegal because he enjoyed immunity as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. After the Parliamentary Assembly lifted his immunity, Romanowski went into hiding earlier this month.
Orban has close ties to Poland's former ruling party, PiS, which was voted out of power last year and replaced by a pro-European coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
