Hungary granted asylum to Poland’s former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, in a move that will likely increase tensions between Warsaw and Budapest.
Ziobro of his parliamentary immunity in November. He’s accused of misappropriating public funds when he served as justice minister under the nationalist Law & Justice government, whose leaders are allies of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Ziobro has denied any wrongdoing.
“I have decided to accept the asylum granted to me by the government of Hungary due to the political persecution in Poland,” Ziobro said in a post on X on Monday. “I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to Prime Minister Viktor Orban.”
In Poland, the case against Ziobro is the most prominent example of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s drive to hold officials of the former nationalist government accountable for alleged abuses of power. That attempt has become part of an escalating political tug-of-war with the nationalist opposition, supported by President Karol Nawrocki.
For Budapest, the move comes ahead of a pivotal parliamentary election in which Orban’s party is trailing in most polls and could face an ouster after more than 15 years in power. The Hungarian prime minister, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has also sought to build alliances with other populist political groups across Europe, including in Poland.
“United States President Donald Trump emphasized that Prime Minister Orban’s courageous leadership and steadfast defense of principles have made Hungary an example for the world — a country of faith, family, and sovereignty,” Ziobro said in the post.
The coordinator of Poland’s special services Tomasz Siemoniak criticized Hungary’s asylum decision. It’s “a perfect summary of Ziobro’s career — a former minister of justice who fled like a coward from Polish justice,” he said
on X on Monday.
