Polish-Hungarian relationship may be at a historic low: is PM Orbán a persona non grata in Warsaw?

PM Orbán Rákosrendező
Photo: Facebook / Orbán Viktor

Polish Deputy Minister for European Affairs Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka announced that the Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw, István Íjgyártó, was “not welcome” at the opening event of the Polish EU presidency. The Hungarian FM called that pathetic and childish. The Polish “rudeness” seems to be due not to PM Orbán’s standpoint concerning Ukraine or Russia but to internal Polish political clashes.

Poland, a historic ally and friend of Hungary, took the EU presidency from Hungary on 1 January and organised an opening ceremony yesterday evening in Warsaw. However, though they invited the Hungarian ambassador, István Íjgyártó, they added in a diplomatic note that the Hungarian diplomat was not welcome at the event. Though it is not compulsory, Poland did not invite PM Orbán.

Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk. Photo: depositphotos.com

Polish opposition party PiS said the Donald Tusk-lead government did not organise an opening event for the EU leaders because, in that case, the president, Andrzej Duda (PiS) would welcome the guests. Former defence minister and current parliamentary group leader Mariusz Błaszczak said PM Duda’s decisions make Poland ridiculous.

Hungarian Opposition Socialists outraged

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s policies go against European values, the opposition Socialists said on Friday, and called on the Hungarian government to respect democratic principles. The fact that Hungary’s ambassador to Poland was not invited to the opening ceremony of Poland’s European Union presidency was a clear rejection of the Hungarian government’s policies, the party said.

PM Szijjártó: pathetic and childish

The decision of Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is “pathetic and childish”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said according to a ministry statement on Friday, commenting on Sikorski’s decision to declare the Hungarian ambassador to Poland persona non grata at the opening event of Poland’s EU presidency.

Sikorski sent a diplomatic note to the ambassador on Friday, saying he was “not welcome” at the event. Earlier on Friday, Polish deputy minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka told Polish public media that the ban was linked to Hungary’s decision to grant asylum to Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish deputy justice minister.

Polish-Hungarian clash due to former minister Marcin Romanowski’s asylum in Hungary

The Socialists said that the decision was linked to Hungary having offered political asylum to former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski who is currently a subject of a procedure on suspicion of corruption in his home country. It added that Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, the deputy minister in charge of EU affairs had said that Hungary’s decision violated the principles of European solidarity and rule of law.

The Socialists said the incident was another example of how the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was undermining common EU values and cooperation between member states.

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