A former Polish minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, who is under investigation for alleged abuse of power during his time in the conservative-nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government, has been granted political asylum in Hungary. Ziobro, a prominent figure in the PiS government, played a central role in its controversial judiciary reforms, which critics say undermined the rule of law and the independence of courts, leading to prolonged conflict with the EU. Since the PiS government was voted out of power in 2023, Poland has been ruled by a pro-European coalition government led by former European Council president Donald Tusk, who promised a reckoning with alleged corruption and abuse of state resources during PiS’s eight-year rule. Ziobro is being investigated on 26 charges, with prosecutors looking into allegations that he ran a criminal group and abused his position through the misuse of resources from a fund designed to help victims of crime. According to Polish media, prosecutors allege that the funds were used for political patronage and to acquire the Pegasus spyware system, allegedly deployed against domestic political rivals. Ziobro denies the allegations. On social media, he claimed he was a victim of a 'personal vendetta' from Tusk and decided to remain abroad until genuine guarantees of the rule of law are restored in Poland. Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, said the Hungarian authorities had granted asylum to 'several' individuals facing 'political persecution' in Poland, but declined to give names. Marcin Romanowski, who was Poland’s deputy justice minister under Ziobro, claimed asylum in Hungary in late 2024 after he was identified as a suspect in a related case. The Polish government’s spokesperson, Adam Szłapka, said Ziobro’s asylum claim showed 'the sheriff proved to be nothing but a coward'. In November, the Polish parliament waived Ziobro’s parliamentary immunity. Prosecutors have requested his temporary arrest, and the motion is expected to be heard this week. In December, his passports were invalidated in an attempt to stop him leaving the country.
