Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has sharply criticised former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro after he sought political asylum in Hungary – a move that has prompted scrutiny at EU level over the use of asylum procedures.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada
“The former Minister of Justice(!), Mr. Ziobro, who was the mastermind of the political corruption system, has asked the government of Victor Orbán for political asylum. A logical choice,” Tusk wrote on Monday on X.
The comment referred to Ziobro, a key figure in the former right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) government, who has applied for asylum in Hungary together with his wife.
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, is widely criticised within the European Union for his close ties to pro-Kremlin actors and for undermining democratic standards.
The decision has triggered reactions beyond Warsaw.
Questions raised over Hungary’s handling of Ziobro’s asylum request
As reported by Beata Płomecka, Polish Radio’s Brussels correspondent, Civic Coalition MEP Dariusz Joński has submitted an urgent parliamentary question to the European Commission regarding Hungary’s handling of Ziobro’s asylum case.
In his submission, seen by Płomecka, Joński raises concerns about what he describes as the instrumental use of asylum procedures to shield former high-ranking officials facing criminal investigations.
The politician points to EU law and the common European asylum system, under which international protection is intended for people fleeing persecution or serious threats in their home countries.
Joński also notes that in recent years Hungary has repeatedly granted international protection to former senior officials from other countries who were under criminal investigation or facing corruption charges. Such cases, he argues, raise doubts about whether these decisions are compatible with EU law.
The MEP has asked the Commission whether it is monitoring potential abuses of asylum procedures, what steps it plans to take to prevent them, and whether it is considering measures – including infringement proceedings – against member states that may be violating the principles of the European asylum system.
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Source: Polish Radio English Service/X/@donaldtusk/@PR24_pl