Interpol has dealt a blow to Poland’s left-liberal government by rejecting its attempt to secure an international arrest warrant for exiled opposition figure Marcin Romanowski.
The global policing agency declined to issue a red notice—a tool often treated as an international arrest warrant—effectively dismissing Warsaw’s case against the former justice minister. Romanowski, once a key figure in Poland’s previous conservative Law and Justice (PiS) administration, fled to Hungary in 2023 after being accused of misusing public funds. Since then, he’s remained in political exile under the protection of Hungary’s right-leaning government.
Despite both countries being EU members, Budapest granted Romanowski asylum, citing concerns about judicial overreach and political persecution in Poland. Hungarian officials warned that opposition figures no longer enjoy basic legal protections under Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s leadership.
Romanowski’s case isn’t an isolated one. Several PiS-aligned officials have found themselves targeted since the Tusk coalition returned to power—prompting criticism from human rights observers and fellow lawmakers who claim the judiciary is being weaponized against dissent.
Opposition MP Marcin Warchoł welcomed Interpol’s decision, calling it a tacit acknowledgment that the charges against Romanowski may be politically driven. “When even Interpol won’t play along,” he said, “it tells you something about the credibility of the accusations.”
With Interpol stepping aside, the standoff between Warsaw and Budapest over Romanowski’s fate is likely to intensify—and could further strain political ties inside the EU’s already fractious bloc.
