BRUSSELS — Hungary’s decision to grant political asylum to Poland’s former justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, has intensified strains within the European Union at a moment when the bloc is already grappling with internal backlash over Germany’s controversial move to allow visa-free transit for Indian nationals, according to BBC News.
Ziobro, a key figure in Poland’s former right wing Law and Justice (PiS) government, faces 26 criminal charges at home, including allegations of embezzling public funds and authorizing the purchase of Pegasus spyware that prosecutors say was used to target political opponents. He denies the accusations, claiming political persecution by Poland’s current centrist government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Hungarian authorities approved Ziobro’s asylum request this week, a rare and provocative step given that both Hungary and Poland are EU member states bound by shared legal and judicial standards. Last year, Budapest granted similar protection to Ziobro’s former deputy, Michal Romanowski, who is also accused of corruption.
The timing has sharpened criticism. Germany’s recent announcement easing visa-free transit rules for Indian travelers has already sparked debate within the EU over border controls, migration policy, and trust among member states. Against that backdrop, Hungary’s move is being seen by some European officials as another challenge to EU cohesion and the rule of law.
Ziobro served as Poland’s justice minister from 2015 to 2023 and was the architect of sweeping judicial reforms that led to a prolonged standoff with Brussels. Those reforms resulted in the freezing of EU funds and multiple rulings by the European Court of Justice, which found Poland in violation of judicial independence standards. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, himself frequently at odds with EU institutions, openly backed Warsaw during that period.
Writing on social media, Ziobro said he accepted asylum to fight what he called “political banditry” and a “creeping dictatorship,” accusing Tusk of waging a personal vendetta against him. If convicted, Ziobro could face up to 25 years in prison.
European analysts say the asylum decision fits neatly into Orbán’s broader effort to position himself as the standard-bearer of a “patriotic” Europe resisting Brussels’ authority, a message amplified as EU unity is tested by migration debates, visa policy disputes, and diverging interpretations of democratic norms.
As the bloc navigates the fallout from Germany’s visa decision, Hungary’s defiance underscores how internal divisions continue to complicate Europe’s claim to shared values and collective governance.
