Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently accused Viktor Orban of not playing on the EU's team, but on Putin's, if Hungary indeed blocked sanctions against Russia. Setting aside the fact that this accusation could more accurately be directed at those who conceived the sanctions in the first place, it is troubling to see that
Tusk and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski place little value on the long-standing Polish-Hungarian friendship. They and their ideological allies treat us as if we were nations at war.
Of course, not all Poles are our friends, and history has not always seen us as sincere friends. There have been conflicts between our nations, for instance, in the 12th century and even in the 15th century, notably between King Casimir of Poland and King Matthias of Hungary. However, history offers far more examples of how the friendship between the brave, patriotic, and freedom-loving people of our two nations has proved to be stronger than political differences. We have often fought against foreign invaders, sometimes assisting each other, and have provided refuge when necessary.
Even during the communist dictatorship, this friendship remained unbroken. I am not referring to the forced "brotherhood" imposed by the socialist regimes, but rather to the genuine feelings that thrived among ordinary civilians—an affection immediately apparent whenever we set foot on each other’s land.
I first visited Poland in the summer of 1964. Traveling with a childhood friend, we had little money and carried just a sports bag each. We took a train to Katowice and hitchhiked all the way to the sea, then back again, crisscrossing the country. We had no accommodation plans and never knew where we would sleep, yet the Polish people always helped us as soon as they found out we were Hungarian. Hitchhiking was very popular back then, especially in Poland. At city outskirts, long lines of young people stood waiting for rides to the Sopot Song Festival. Few cars stopped, but for us, they always did. Our secret was a small yellow sign with “Węgry” (Hungary) written in black letters. Holding this sign, we traveled across Poland, sleeping in tents, student dormitories, and as guests of generous Polish people.
Now, in my old age, I was shocked to read that
Foreign Minister Sikorski wants to sever diplomatic ties with Hungary. A letter from the Polish foreign ministry, which has surfaced publicly, recommends canceling all previously planned meetings with Hungary’s ambassador to Warsaw, Istvan Ijgyarto, citing the "deterioration of Polish-Hungarian relations." The letter also advises Polish officials to turn down invitations from the ambassador or the Hungarian embassy,
including invitations to cultural events organized by the embassy.
All this is because Hungary recently granted political asylum to former Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski (Law and Justice Party), who is accused of criminal offenses by the Polish prosecutor's office. Hungary has good reason to assume that the charges are politically motivated, given that Tusk’s government has already taken a number of unlawful actions in this area.
Left-wing Polish politicians constantly attack Hungary’s national, Christian-oriented government. They are characterized by a pro-war position and anti-Russian attitude. Now, they embrace new friends: the globalists of Ukraine and Romania.
In response to Sikorski’s hostile gesture, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto gave a fitting reply:
The Polish-Hungarian brotherhood will outlive the machinations of one of Europe’s most pro-war Soros-allied agent.
Indeed, we believe in the strength of our old friendship because we have many Polish friends. We trust in the rational, patriotic citizens of Poland who will eventually push aside those servile politicians who bow before Brussels. One might ask: Why does the Polish left-wing not care about the legendary Polish-Hungarian friendship, the centuries-old sympathy between two European nations with ancient cultures? There is no point in asking this question, as the answer is self-evident: the international Left is inherently anti-national in its nature. These people share the same mindset as their Hungarian leftist counterparts, who, in the same manner, do not care about the nation, nor about the friendship between our two nations (with some exceptions).
It is even possible that Tusk and his allies are secretly pleased that we have taken in the accused politician.
Poland took over the rotating presidency of the EU on January 1, and from this position, they can cause us even more harm under a convenient pretext. For Tusk and his comrades, friendship does not matter. What matters to them is serving their foreign masters without question and achieving their ultimate goal: toppling the patriotic Hungarian government and installing obedient lackeys in Hungary.
Just as they did in Poland.
The author is a writer and journalist