Hungary notifies prosecutors over think tank that employed former Polish deputy minister

Hungarian prosecutor notified over think tank funds

The Prime Minister's Office in Hungary under Péter Magyar has submitted a formal notification to the prosecutor's office concerning the Center for Fundamental Rights (CPP), an organization historically affiliated with the political network of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The complaint alleges budget fraud and improper management of public funds distributed to the think tank between 2021 and 2024. Over this four-year period, the institution received state funding totalling roughly 5 million PLN in equivalent value. A governmental review identified financial irregularities in the disbursement of approximately 2 million PLN of those funds, leading the current executive administration to request an official prosecution inquiry.

Irregularities in executive salaries and project allocation

According to the audit details submitted to prosecutors, the 2 million PLN in disputed funds was disbursed to the bank accounts of three members of the organization's executive management. Records indicate that each manager initially received a monthly gross salary of 17,000 PLN, which was later raised to approximately 18,000 PLN gross per month. Auditors also cited procurement breaches, stating that public money for designated initiatives, including the project "Brussels Through Our Eyes," was disbursed without an open competitive tender. Hungarian authorities further stated that the submitted documentation for parts of the completed project work was incomplete. The Center for Fundamental Rights previously maintained that all of its operational and financial activities complied with national laws and that it maintained full cooperation with state institutions.

Romanowski's appointment to the Budapest institute

The Hungarian investigation involves an institution that previously employed former Polish deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski. Romanowski had sought and received international protection in Hungary under the government of Viktor Orbán after departing Polish territory amid domestic criminal investigations. In April 2025, Romanowski assumed the role of head of the Polish-Hungarian Freedom Institute, an entity integrated directly into the structures of CPP. His formal employment at the think tank has since concluded, with source reporting confirming that he is no longer employed by the Budapest-based body.

Warsaw court issues conditional safe-conduct letter

In Poland, parallel legal proceedings concerning Romanowski took a new step after the politician sent correspondence from the breakaway Transnistria region of Moldova requesting legal guarantees. The District Court in Warsaw ruled to grant Romanowski a safe-conduct letter (list żelazny), which suspends detention measures upon entering Poland once the decision is legally binding. In its ruling, the court stated that lack of confirmed evidence regarding his presence in Transnistria did not prevent granting the letter, as statutory conditions only require establishing that the suspect is outside Polish territory. Defence lawyer Bartosz Lewandowski described the ruling and its legal effects on the European Arrest Warrant.

Sąd Okręgowy Warszawie wydał Marcinowi Romanowskiemu list żelazny, uchylając środek zapobiegawczy w postaci tymczasowego aresztowania od momentu uprawomocnienia się orzeczenia! Mój Klient na terytorium Polski nie będzie mógł być zatrzymany i tymczasowo aresztowany, a ENA "upada", jeśli postanowienie Sądu się uprawomocni

Polish prosecutors confirmed that they are lodging a formal complaint against the Warsaw court order, a procedural appeal expected to extend the legal process over several months before any safe-conduct status can take final effect.