Polish President Karol Nawrocki will meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest on March 23rd to offer support before the April 12th parliamentary elections, drawing condemnation from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Nawrocki to Support Orbán Amidst Election Campaign
On Monday, March 23rd, coinciding with Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day, Polish President Karol Nawrocki will meet with Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok in Przemyśl to commemorate the occasion, followed by a visit to Budapest to express support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the April 12th parliamentary elections, according to investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi of VSquare.
President Nawrocki’s endorsement of Orbán comes after a previous planned meeting was cancelled in December.
Previous Dispute and Shift in Relations
In December, prior to a Visegrád Group summit in Ostrzyhom, Hungary, President Nawrocki cancelled a scheduled meeting with Orbán following the Hungarian Prime Minister’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Bureau of International Policy, stated at the time that President Nawrocki consistently advocates for finding realistic ways to end the war in Ukraine initiated by the Russian Federation.
The Monday visit aims to mend relations following the December cancellation.
Timing and Political Context of the Visit
Szabolcs Panyi noted that the timing of the visit is particularly advantageous for Nawrocki, as Budapest will also host a “Grand Assembly” of the far-right “Patriots for Europe” coalition on March 23rd, featuring prominent pro-Kremlin politicians such as Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen.
Tusk Condemns Nawrocki’s Move as Pro-Russian
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized Nawrocki’s visit, stating that the Polish President’s participation in a meeting with pro-Russian and Eurosceptic politicians in Budapest is a “fatal mistake” and confirms a dangerous strategy of weakening the European Union and strengthening Putin.
Morawiecki Criticizes Tusk’s Past Relations with Russia
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded to Tusk’s statement, accusing him of hypocrisy, citing Tusk’s past “reset” with Russia and allowing Russia to investigate the Smolensk disaster. He suggested Tusk could learn anti-Russian sentiment from President Nawrocki, calling him a man without convictions beyond following Berlin’s directives. Morawiecki himself met with Marine Le Pen in 2021 while serving as Prime Minister.
Presidential Office Denies Participation in Pro-Kremlin Meeting
Marcin Przydacz refuted Tusk’s claims, asserting that the President does not plan to participate in any such meeting. He reiterated that the visit is related to the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day celebrations, involving meetings between Presidents Nawrocki and Sulyok, and with Prime Minister Orbán. Przydacz urged Tusk to remove his tweet, and “preferably his account.”
International Support for Orbán’s Re-election Bid
Previously, former U.S. President Donald Trump offered his “full” support to Orbán in the April elections, with Orbán promising victory and “dismantling the progressive gates of Brussels.”
Tight Race in Upcoming Hungarian Elections
The Hungarian elections are scheduled for April 12th. Opposition party TISZA, led by Péter Magyar, currently leads Fidesz, the party of Prime Minister Orbán, in most independent polls. In February, a Median poll showed TISZA with a 20-point lead among decided voters. Orbán has received support from U.S. President Donald Trump, and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance will also visit Hungary before the elections.
