Poland says Hungary's government is closer to Moscow than Brussels

Dec 11 (Reuters) - ‌Polish Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek accused Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday of being ‍closer to ‌Russia than Europe, renewing an argument between the two European Union members that Budapest has called ⁠an unjustified provocation.

Zurek expressed frustration with Budapest in ‌an interview with Reuters when asked about two former Polish officials charged with misuse of funds who are being shielded by fellow-EU member Hungary.

He referred to the case, as well as Orban's talks with President Vladimir Putin and Hungary ⁠blocking funds for Poland for supporting Ukraine's fight against Russian invasion.

"It looks to me today as if Hungary's leadership is closer ​to the leadership in Moscow than the EU leadership, and I ‌say this with great sadness and also with ⁠great concern," Zurek said.

"Orban, unfortunately, wants to blow up the EU from within and his pro-Russian policies are completely unacceptable to the majority of citizens in the EU."

Orban has accused Poland of ​making unjust and provocative remarks about its ties with Moscow, which he argues are in Hungary's national interest. He says European Union sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine are self-defeating.

Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who faces 26 charges including leading an organised criminal group, is in Hungary ​and may ‍seek asylum there, following the ​example of his former deputy Marcin Romanowski, who faces similar charges.

Both men say they will not return to Poland because they would not get a fair trial under Tusk's government, which rejects the charges, emphasising that its justice system is independent.

Orban met Ziobro in Budapest in October and accused Warsaw of a "political witch hunt".

A Polish court will decide in the coming weeks whether to issue a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) ⁠for Ziobro.

"When you have EAW, it's an agreement between all EU countries that we respect and have confidence in our own national justice systems... Today ​we have a situation where Hungary says 'we are granting asylum to Mr. Romanowski', which in my opinion is violating this EU agreement," Zurek said.

"It seems that the subsequent issue will be to examine the actions of the Hungarian state. And perhaps Poland will be forced ‌to expose this abnormal situation on the European forum, where Hungary is breaking the rules of the EAW by granting asylum."

(Reporting by Anna Koper, Anna Włodarczak-Semczuk, Justyna Pawlak and Kuba Stezycki; editing by Philippa Fletcher)