Poland

The Hungarian government has offered asylum to a Polish former deputy minister in the previous government of the right-wing populist Law and Justice Party (PiS), Budapest announced yesterday (Thursday).

Authorities in Poland issued a European arrest warrant for former Justice Minister Marcyn Romanowski the day before yesterday, Wednesday.

Poland's leader has said that he plans to temporarily suspend the right to asylum as part of a new migration policy, pointing to its alleged abuse by eastern neighbor Belarus and Russia.

Poland has announced its readiness to assist Ukraine in its conflict against Russia by facilitating the return of Ukrainian men of conscription age. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz conveyed Poland's support during an interview with Polsat television, as reported by Reuters.

The central bank governors of Poland and Hungary are caught up in noisy disputes with opponents over their rate-setting policy, raising new hazards for investors willing to brave central Europe's bitterly polarized politics.

NATO member Poland displayed its state-of-the-art weapons and defense systems at a massive military parade Tuesday, as war rages in neighboring Ukraine and ahead of parliamentary elections in two months.

Tusk was referring to a law change that would relax visa requirements for citizens from a number of countries including India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and Nigeria in order to address shortages in the labour market.

The European Union gives more support to countries outside the bloc like Turkey to help them deal with migration than it gives to its own members, the Polish president said on Friday.

In other news, Donald Tusk, leader of Poland's main opposition Civic Platform party, is put under investigation by Warsaw prosecutors for abuse of power; the new Czech president is already at odds with the government; and former Slovak PM Robert Fico says 'yes' to Ukraine in the EU, 'no' to it joining NATO.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) stand together before their meeting at the Chancellery in Warsaw, Poland, 05 April 2023. Photo: BIRN

Elsewhere, the Polish government announced this week it would ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the European Games, taking place this June and July in Krakow and surrounding areas.