President Karol Nawrocki Meets Viktor Orbán in Budapest Amid Heated Media Confrontation

Polish President Karol Nawrocki traveled to Hungary on March 23, 2026, for the annual Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day celebrations, meeting both Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok in Przemyśl and later in Budapest, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the Hungarian capital. The visit unfolded across two cities: morning ceremonies in the Polish border city of Przemyśl, followed by an afternoon working session in Budapest, where Nawrocki was received at the Sándor Palace by Sulyok. Nawrocki also laid a wreath at the monument to General Józef Bem, a national hero of both Poland and Hungary, and the iconic Chain Bridge was illuminated in the national colors of both countries. In an evening post on the X platform, Nawrocki thanked both leaders for what he called "fruitful talks" and invoked the shared history of the two nations.

„Węgry podały nam rękę, gdy broniliśmy się przed rosyjskim bolszewizmem w 1920 roku, my okazaliśmy im solidarność w 1956, gdy imperializm kremlowski zdławił ich wolność. My, Polacy, kochamy Węgrów, a nienawidzimy zbrodniarza Putina. Rosja zawsze będzie dla nas zagrożeniem, Węgry wiecznym przyjacielem.” (Hungary extended a hand to us when we were defending ourselves against Russian Bolshevism in 1920, we showed them solidarity in 1956, when Kremlin imperialism crushed their freedom. We, Poles, love Hungarians, and we hate the war criminal Putin. Russia will always be a threat to us, Hungary an eternal friend.) — Karol Nawrocki via wnp.pl

The Day of Polish-Hungarian Friendship is observed on March 23 each year. The declaration establishing the date was adopted on March 12, 2007, by the Hungarian parliament, with the Polish Sejm passing a similar resolution shortly afterward. The holiday was established on the initiative of the then-presidents Lech Kaczyński and László Sólyom. Celebrations alternate between the two countries: in 2024 the presidents met in Stary Sącz, Poland, and in 2025 the event was held in the Hungarian city of Kaposvar.

Closed-door Orbán meeting runs over an hour The meeting between Nawrocki and Orbán at the seat of the Hungarian government lasted over an hour and took place without the participation of the media, according to reports cited by Do Rzeczy. Orbán welcomed his Polish counterpart on X with the words "Poles and Hungarians, two good friends," posting a photograph of the two leaders together. At the Budapest press conference, Nawrocki outlined areas of agreement with Hungary, including opposition to the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, shared doubts about EU climate and migration policy, and concerns about what he described as the "bureaucratization and centralization" of processes by the European Commission. Nawrocki acknowledged that the two countries do not agree on all issues, stating that for Poland, Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation represent an existential threat. The head of the International Policy Bureau in the Presidential Chancellery, Marcin Przydacz, had previously stressed that the visit was official in nature and that the president did not plan to attend any political campaign events in Budapest, pushing back against suggestions to the contrary.

Sharp exchange with TVN24 journalist draws wide attention The visit was overshadowed by a confrontation between Nawrocki and TVN24 journalist Mateusz Półchłopek following the joint press conference with Sulyok in Przemyśl. Półchłopek asked the Polish president whether Orbán's closeness with Vladimir Putin did not bother him, given that the two leaders were scheduled to meet later that day. Nawrocki initially ignored the question, then conferred briefly with his spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz before approaching the journalist directly.

„Pan redaktor powinien się ogarnąć i słuchać, co mówi prezydent Polski. Mówię do pana, panie redaktorze, Władimir Putin jest zbrodniarzem. Rozumie pan, panie redaktorze? Do widzenia.” (Mr. editor should pull himself together and listen to what the President of Poland is saying. I'm speaking to you, Mr. editor, Vladimir Putin is a criminal. Do you understand, Mr. editor? Goodbye.) — Karol Nawrocki via TVN24

Historian and political scientist Professor Antoni Dudek, appearing on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" program, assessed the outburst critically, saying that Nawrocki had been concealing certain personality traits for over a year since becoming a presidential candidate. „Poles elected a boxer as president, although he no longer practices the sport professionally, and this will be felt more and more often.” — Antoni Dudek via TVN24 Dudek added that Nawrocki had "restrained himself a great deal" during the campaign but now appeared to feel more confident, predicting that similar episodes would recur.

Politicians split sharply along party lines over the incident The confrontation and the visit itself triggered immediate and polarized reactions across the Polish political spectrum. Presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz posted on X in response to Prime Minister Donald Tusk's comment about a "Russian swamp," writing: "With a special dedication for Prime Minister Donald Tusk. In the Russian swamp, your government left the remains of the Victims from April 10, 2010" — a reference to the 2010 Smolensk air disaster. Sławomir Cenckiewicz, head of the National Security Bureau, posted "Bravo Karol Nawrocki!" in support of the president's behavior toward the journalist, while Law and Justice party member of parliament Marcin Horała wrote dismissively of the journalist: "I doubt it will get through, exceptionally dim pupil." On the opposing side, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that the president "will be in Budapest to support Viktor Orbán in the election campaign," and Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the visit as a "fatal mistake" and "confirmation of a dangerous strategy of weakening the European Union and strengthening Putin." Sikorski also posted on X: "Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are." Law and Justice MP Dariusz Ociepa offered a more measured assessment, saying that while Hungary's policy toward Russia and Ukraine "deserves criticism because it is against the Polish national interest," it was nonetheless "a good decision" for Nawrocki to build relations with all NATO and EU leaders.