On the 17th, Paweł Fronski, spokesperson for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Poland has recalled its ambassador to Hungary, reducing diplomatic relations to a level of consular.
According to Xinhua News Agency, citing Poznanska Gazeta, Fronski mentioned that the Ambassador of Poland to Hungary, Sebastian Kunkec, had concluded his term on July 15. Currently, Poland’s diplomatic representative in Hungary is an acting consul-general.
Fronski noted that Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called for Kunkec’s recall in December last year due to political asylum provided by Hungary to Marzena Romanowski, former Deputy Minister of Justice of Poland. Romanowski was under suspicion for involvement in the investigation into the operation of judicial funds. The Warsaw District Court approved his arrest and subsequently issued an European arrest warrant upon the prosecutor’s request.
Fronski remarked that Hungary’s actions violated EU principles and were unfriendly towards Poland.
The Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sándor Petőfi, confirmed the above information in Budapest on the 17th. He expressed that the Hungarian government intended to engage in good cooperation with Poland, but the current leadership of Poland seemed uninterested.
The gradual deterioration of political relations led to this regrettable step, which is unprecedented. Mária Zsámbó, the State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed out that this situation is temporary and will not undermine the historical friendship between Hungarians and Poles. Despite the current political disputes, Hungary is willing to maintain dialogue.
