Hungary followed procedure when granting asylum to Polish opposition figure says Orban

Record ID: 1891157

  • Title: Hungary followed procedure when granting asylum to Polish opposition figure says Orban
  • Date: 21st December 2024
  • Summary: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (DECEMBER 21, 2024) (REUTERS) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, VIKTOR ORBAN, GIVING PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, VIKTOR ORBAN, SAYING: "Our aim is to keep our conflicts with Poland at a manageable level. That is why I will not say anything about what I think about the rule of law situation in Poland. I can say about the (asylum) decision that it has a procedure. This procedure must be followed. It has thorough and stringent milestones. We have prepared a study that fully reveals what the situation is in Poland." ORBAN LISTENING TO QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, VIKTOR ORBAN, SAYING: "The minister who has the right to decide on the issue of asylum has read this study. He decided based on it. Our decision is not unknown, it is an internationally recognised legal institution. I am not giving away a big secret when I say that I do not believe that this (asylum request from Poland) was the last one."
  • Embargoed: 4th January 2025 14:16
  • Keywords: Hungarian Prime Minister Michal Romanowski Polish former minister Viktor Orban political asylum
  • Location: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY / WARSAW, POLAND
  • City: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY / WARSAW, POLAND
  • Country: Hungary
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001878821122024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hungary defended itself on Saturday (December 21) after Poland accused it of committing a "hostile act" when granting asylum to a former Polish minister under investigation over accusations of misuse of public funds.
    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the decision to grant asylum to former Polish deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski was based on a thorough procedure.
    Romanowski was detained in a probe into the misuse of public funds and released in July after the president of a European rights assembly said he had immunity as a member of the body. He denies the accusations against him.
    Budapest announced the decision on Thursday (December 19) saying the Polish government was hounding its political opponents, deepening the rift between the former allied countries.
    Poland said the asylum was contrary to European Union principles and summoned the Hungarian ambassador to the foreign ministry in Warsaw on Friday (December 20) to hand him a formal protest note.
    Asked specifically whether he expected more Polish politicians to request political asylum in Hungary, Orban said he did not believe Romanowski's case would be the last.
    Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government says it has opened the way for prosecutors to investigate wrongdoing under Poland's previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government, which left office in 2023, that would previously have been covered up.
    Polish opposition lawmakers including Romanowski have also accused Tusk's government of engaging in a politically motivated witchhunt.
    Orban was an ally of the PiS government, with both countries having EU funds frozen over rule of law concerns and Orban has told Hungarian media Tusk's government considers Hungarians to be enemies.
    (Production: Krisztina Fenyo, Lewis Macdonald)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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