Poland summoned the Hungarian ambassador and recalled the Polish ambassador in Budapest for consultations in reaction to the granting of asylum by Budapest to Polish former Deputy Minister of Justice Marcyn Romanowski, announced the Polish Foreign Ministry.

“The Hungarian ambassador to Poland will be summoned today (…) to be served an official protest by the Polish side (…) At the same time, the foreign minister has decided to recall Poland’s ambassador to Hungary back to Warsaw for consultations,” the ministry said in the statement.

“If Hungary fails to meet its European commitments, Poland will ask the European Commission to initiate proceedings against Hungary,” the statement added.

Hungary has offered political asylum to Romanovsky, who is accused in Poland of misusing public funds, Gergely Gulas, the chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán, confirmed.

Poland called it a “hostile act.”

For his part, Goulias spoke to the mandiner.hu website stressed that Budapest’s actions are in line with Hungarian and European law. He also accused the Polish government of “using” the legislation to persecute its political opponents.

“The actions of the government of Donald Tusk have created a situation in which the Polish government disregards the decisions of its constitutional court (…) and uses criminal legislation as a tool against political opponents,” Gulas argued.

Tusk’s pro-European government says it has paved the way for prosecutors to be able to investigate offences committed during the period ruled by the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which were previously covered up.

Romanowski, Poland’s former deputy justice minister arrested in an investigation into the misuse of public funds, was released in July after the president of the Council of Europe assembly said he enjoyed immunity as a member of that body.

Opposition MPs, including Romanovsky, have accused the Tusk government of engaging in a politically motivated witch hunt. Romanovski has denied the accusations against him.

Goulias assessed that Romanowski’s arrest, which Polish courts have ruled illegal, raises serious concerns about fair treatment and the absence of political bias in legal proceedings in Poland.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote in X: “We consider the decision (…) to grant political asylum to Romanowski, suspected of criminal activities and wanted based on a European arrest warrant, a hostile act towards the Republic of Poland and the EU authorities.”