Controversial Polish FM Threatens Hungary with Freezing Diplomatic Relations

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski (L) with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó

The Polish Foreign Ministry, headed by Radoslaw Sikorski, has threatened Hungary with a harsh move to freeze diplomatic relations. Under the terms of the move, the ministry would cancel all previously scheduled meetings with the Hungarian ambassador to Poland.

The events were reported by wPolityce.pl, which obtained the letter sent by the Foreign Ministry to the Polish-Hungarian Parliamentary Group.

Due to the deterioration of Polish-Hungarian relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests cancelling all previously planned meetings with HE Mr. István Íjgyártó, Ambassador of Hungary in Warsaw, and not accepting invitations issued personally by the Ambassador or by the Embassy of Hungary, including to cultural events organized by the Embassy.”

According to wPolityce, this is a very serious diplomatic move by the Poles and a de facto sharp attack on Hungary. As they wrote, Hungary seems to be treated as an enemy state.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó quickly reacted to the Polish move.

The Polish-Hungarian brotherhood will outlast the scheming of one of Europe’s most war-mongering Soros agents,”

the Foreign Minister said in response to a request from Mandiner.

“The Polish-Hungarian brotherhood will outlast the scheming of one of Europe’s most war-mongering Soros agents,” declared FM Péter Szijjártó in response to a leaked letter published by Polish news outlet https://t.co/7qpVFAXrvJ.

The letter revealed @sikorskiradek’s… pic.twitter.com/sg1feCLfwj

— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) January 9, 2025

The Polish move comes in a troubled time regarding the two countries’ relationship. As was reported by Hungary Today earlier, at the beginning of the year, Poland took over the EU Presidency, and an opening ceremony was organized. Before the ceremony, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka told TVP Info that the Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw was not welcome at the event because of the asylum granted to former Polish Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Romanowski in Hungary. To that move, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reacted by saying that two terms can be used in connection with the decision of his Polish counterpart: pathetic and childish.

The Polish Foreign Minister is known to have an antagonistic relationship with conservative forces, such as the government of Viktor Orbán, not only abroad, but also on the domestic scene. He is considered to be one of the most radical members of the Donald Tusk government that has been accused of cracking down on opposition forces and undermining the freedom of speech in Poland, and was even sued by one of the best-known Polish conservative think-tanks, Ordo Iuris, for defamation.

Hungarian Ambassador “Not Welcome” at Poland’s EU Presidency Event