Former minister Marcin Romanowski is suspected by Polish authorities of misusing public funds. In July 2024, he was arrested in Warsaw but later released due to his parliamentary immunity as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He subsequently fled to Hungary.
The situation is further complicated by the recent decision of the European Commission to suspend the disbursement of €1.04 billion in EU funds to Hungary due to concerns about the rule of law and corruption. This measure highlights the increasing pressure on the Hungarian government to comply with EU standards. Poland, as the rotating EU presidency for the coming six months, will have to address this issue.
The relationship between Poland and Hungary, once close under the previous Polish government of the nationalist party Law and Justice (PiS), has cooled significantly since late 2023 following the electoral victory of the pro-European coalition led by Donald Tusk. His new Polish government has adopted a more pro-European course and is trying to clean up the former PiS state apparatus, which was accused of corruption.
These diplomatic tensions arise at the moment Poland takes over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Hungary. In his inaugural speech, Prime Minister Tusk emphasized that security will be a top priority for the Polish presidency. He reiterated Poland's commitment to supporting Ukraine in its resistance against Russian aggression.