Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro has reportedly left Hungary for the United States on a visa following threats of extradition by the new Hungarian government.
Departure for the United States
TV Republika announced it will conduct an interview with Zbigniew Ziobro on Sunday evening. According to wpolityce.pl, Ziobro left Hungary on Saturday, May 9, entering the USA on a visa rather than via an asylum decision.
Wojciech Czuchnowski of Wyborcza.pl reports that former deputy minister Marcin Romanowski, for whom a European Arrest Warrant has been issued, likely also fled to the USA.
The Shift in Hungarian Governance
Ziobro and Romanowski had previously resided in Budapest, having reportedly received political asylum from the government of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in early January.
The situation changed following the April parliamentary elections in Hungary, which were won by Péter Magyar and his TISZA party.
Magyar’s Extradition Warnings
The day after the elections, Péter Magyar told journalists that Ziobro and Romanowski would not remain in the country for long, jokingly suggesting they should not buy furniture at Ikea as their stay was temporary.
During his campaign in February, Magyar stated that if TISZA won, the two PiS politicians would be extradited. He argued this is not only fair but expects other European countries to extradite Hungarian criminals, including political ones, in accordance with international law and European cooperation.
