Poland and Hungary may team up again

Poland has now committed itself to what Hungary has been following for eighteen months since the outbreak of the war: not to supply weapons to Ukraine, political scientist Tamas Lanczi pointed out to Magyar Nemzet. The upcoming Polish elections could bring about a turning point and Hungarian-Polish relations, which have become chilly over the war, could begin to thaw, he said.

Varsó, 2023. június 9. Mateusz Morawiecki lengyel miniszterelnök sajtóértekezlete a varsói kormányfõi hivatalban 2023. június 9-én. Morawiecki közölte: Lengyelország nem fogadja el a bevándorlók európai uniós országok közötti kötelezõ szétosztása mechanizmusának jogszabálytervezetét és nem fog fizetni a migránsok befogadásának elutasításának ellenében. MTI/EPA/PAP/Pawel Supernak Fotó: Pawel Supernak

"Poland will hold parliamentary elections on October 15 and the political parties are campaigning at full steam. For the ruling party, it is very important to secure the support of Polish farmers," political scientist Tamas Lanczi explained in response to Magyar Nemzet's inquiry about the Poland-Ukraine dispute. The conflict between the two countries is taking place not only in the international arena, but is also having a major impact on Poland's domestic politics, especially in the run-up to the elections, the political scientist said, pointing out that support for the war in Ukraine is steadily declining in Polish society, and Ukrainian refugees hosted in the Central European country are causing very serious conflicts.

They work for lower pay and have increased access to Polish social benefits and health services,

the expert said, explaining the reasons behind the social tensions.

Warsaw has also struck a sharper tone towards Ukraine: the Polish government has extended the import ban on Ukrainian grain, and after Volodymyr Zelensky's comments – the Ukraine's president accused his ally of being pro-Russian – Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that the country would halt arms shipments to Ukraine. The military assistance Warsaw has been providing is a great help for Ukrainian troops, as they received modern equipment instead of weapons that could be ten, twenty or thirty years old.  The change in Ukraine policy towards Ukraine is also a reaction for the population, Tamas Lanczi noted.

Poland has now committed itself to what Hungary has been following for eighteen months since the outbreak of the war: not to supply weapons to Ukraine,

he pointed out.

 

The October elections could also be beneficial to Hungarian-Polish relations, the expert said, adding that if the current government remains in power, it will indicate that the forces of globalism have failed to break through. He noted that the sovereignist forces are guarding their positions, and this could mean that Poland will once again have to rely on the traditional alliance system that we have here in Central Europe. To do so, it needs to find partners, with Hungary being number one.

In the past six months, after an extremely chilly relationship, Hungarian-Polish relations are beginning to thaw, and cooperation between the two countries is intensifying, Tamas Lanczi said.

"If the current government remains in power, I expect relations to further improve and we will be able to work together on a number of issues affecting our region," he added. He cited EU funding and family protection as examples of issues the two countries have in common, but in his view the war will soon be added to this list – although so far Budapest and Warsaw have taken different positions. The political scientist stressed that today the Polish parliamentary elections are the most important in the world, because the vote has European stakes.

Cover photo: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (Photo: MTI/EPA/PAP/Pawel Supernak)