Former Polish Minister Granted Asylum in Hungary

Poland's former Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski is accused of corruption in his home country.

But now he is being given asylum in the EU neighboring country Hungary.

This is a political asylum that can be granted if it cannot be guaranteed that someone's case is handled impartially and free from political influence in their home country, explains Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to the AFP news agency.

Romanowski was a minister from 2019-23 in the government dominated by Poland's current opposition party Law and Justice (PIS), but has since been accused, among other things, of attempting to embezzle approximately 400 million kronor from a fund for crime victims.

The asylum decision is highly unpopular with Poland's current government. "A hostile act", writes Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on X and promises a response on Friday.