Polish President Karol Nawrocki will visit Hungary to meet with President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, drawing criticism from Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
Polish-Hungarian Friendship Days and Presidential Visit
The annual Polish-Hungarian Friendship Days are scheduled for March 23rd. As part of these commemorations, Polish President Karol Nawrocki will meet with Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok in Przemyśl, Poland on Monday.
Following the meeting in Przemyśl, President Nawrocki will travel to Budapest for discussions with President Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Sikorski Criticizes Presidential Trip
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski criticized President Nawrocki’s planned visit, stating it appears to be in support of Viktor Orbán’s campaign ahead of the Hungarian parliamentary elections.
Sikorski accused Orbán of blocking the 20th package of sanctions against Russia and delaying the return of 2 billion złoty for military equipment transferred to Ukraine, as well as promoting unsubstantiated claims of a Ukrainian invasion.
Appeal to the Polish President
Sikorski appealed to President Nawrocki to investigate the reasons behind Hungary’s economic struggles under Orbán’s leadership, calling it the poorest country in the European Union.
He further expressed hope that the President would secure the execution of European Arrest Warrants for Polish politicians suspected of theft in exchange for the visit.
Hungary Grants Asylum to Polish Politicians
Last year, Hungary granted international protection to Polish PiS MP Marcin Romanowski, who was subject to a European Arrest Warrant. Hungary cited concerns of political persecution.
Zbigniew Ziobro also received political asylum in Hungary on January 12th.
Analysis of Orbán’s Impact
According to Hungarian political scientist András Biró-Nagy, Orbán has significantly damaged Ukraine’s and Zelenskyy’s reputation, equating it to that of Putin.
Allegations of Information Sharing with Russia
The visit coincides with a scandal involving allegations that Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was passing information to Russia from EU meetings, as reported by “The Washington Post.”
Reactions to the Allegations
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented that the reports of information sharing were not surprising, stating he only speaks when absolutely necessary and provides minimal details.
Péter Szijjártó responded by accusing Tusk of spreading lies and urging him to support the opposition in Hungary instead.
Hungarian Election Outlook
Hungarian parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 12th. The TISZA party, led by Péter Magyar, currently leads in most independent polls.
A March Minerva poll showed 51.3% support for Magyar’s party, while Fidesz, led by Viktor Orbán, received 40.1%.
