New crisis in Europe: Poland recalls the ambassador of Hungary [sic]
Poland recalled Hungary's ambassador in this country because it granted asylum to a wanted former politician.
Describing the decision to grant asylum to a Polish opposition politician wanted for the crimes he committed while serving in the former Government of Budapest Law and Justice Party (PiS) as “hostile”, Warsaw announced that this country is no longer officially represented at the embassy level.
Hungary, on the other hand, described this decision as "sad" and "unprecedented" and warned that "it has reduced the level of bilateral diplomatic relations".
Polish Ambassador Sebastian Kęciek was recalled for "indefinite consultations in Warsaw" last December after Hungary granted political asylum to PiS politician Marcin Romanowski.
Romanowski was issued an arrest warrant for being charged with various crimes in Poland. Prosecutors accuse Romanowski of crimes such as membership in an organized crime organization, earning income from crime and abuse of office during his time as deputy justice in the former PiS government.
Poland officially terminated the ambassador's mandate, and July 15 became the last day of the ambassador's office.
The embassy in Budapest will be led by maslahatgüzar Jacek Śladewski and so far there has been no announcement that someone will be appointed to replace Kęciek.
On Wednesday, Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar said on Facebook, "Poland has finally officially lowered the level of bilateral diplomatic relations by recalling its ambassador in Hungary."
“The deterioration of political relations has led to this unprecedented sad step in our relations with our Central European partners,” Magyar added. On Thursday, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński confirmed that Kęciek, who has served as ambassador since March 2022, when PiS was still in power, "terminated his post and left to be the Hungarian ambassador".
Later speaking to state television TVP, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said the decision was a "reafirmation of the current situation" and that "Hungary has made a hostile move towards Poland."
“Hungary has violated the principle of mutual trust and has granted asylum to a person suspected of financial crimes,” Sikorski said. Thus, they actually said: 'We do not trust the Polish prosecutor's office and the Polish courts.' This is an unfriendly act against Poland, so I recalled our ambassador," he said.
The Polish foreign ministry had previously announced that it planned to file a lawsuit against Hungary in the European Union Court of Justice on the grounds that Budapest's decision to grant asylum to Romanowski "openly violates the principle of sincere cooperation" in EU law.