Poland’s new PM in Budapest

A pro-government commentator sees Mr Morawiecki’s choice of Budapest for his first bilateral visit abroad as a sign of the strong alliance between the two governments in facing infringement procedures launched by Brussels.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki paid a one day visit to Budapest on Wednesday and told the press at the end of his talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that relations between the two countries are better than at any time in the past. The Hungarian PM said the Visegrád countries demanded their fair share in decision-making on Europe’s future.

In Magyar Hírlap, Mariann Őry suggests that Poland is under pressure from the European Commission because its government is right-wing, Christian and jealously protects its sovereignty. She maintains that rule of law complaints against Poland often hide business interests, while the infringement procedures against the three Visegrád countries which refused to accept mandatory migrant quotas are based on double standards, since none of the member countries have fully abided by their quota obligations. Őry advises the Polish government to be flexible in negotiating with Brussels but suggests that Hungary has a moral duty to forestall attempts to trigger Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty which would strip Poland of her voting rights and which would require a unanimous vote in the European Council.

Tags: Morawiecki, Orbán, Poland