A tense exchange between Polish President Karol Nawrocki and a TVN24 journalist unfolded Monday following a joint statement with Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok in Przemyśl, Poland, commemorating Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day. The incident highlights growing scrutiny over Hungary’s relationship with Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Polish President Confronts Journalist Over Question About Orbán’s Ties to Putin
The exchange began after a reporter for TVN24 questioned President Nawrocki about the close relationship between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly in light of a planned visit to Hungary by Putin on March 23. Nawrocki had previously canceled a scheduled meeting with Orbán in December 2025 following a meeting between Orbán and the Russian leader.
During a joint press conference in Przemyśl, Nawrocki stated that “Poles love Hungarians, they hate Vladimir Putin, who is a war criminal, nothing more.” He continued, “States make their diplomatic choices.” “For me, as President of Poland, Vladimir Putin is a threat to the European idea, to the eastern flank of NATO and to the European Union. But as in friendship, Notice things we can agree on and things we don’t have to agree on. The position of the Republic of Poland is clear.”
Following the prepared statements, a question-and-answer session was not scheduled. The TVN24 journalist pressed Nawrocki on whether he was concerned about Orbán’s continued relationship with Putin. The President paused, briefly conferred with his spokesperson, Rafał Leśkiewicz, and then returned to the podium. “What do you aim for to ask? Didn’t you listen to the press conference? Didn’t you hear what I reckon about Vladimir Putin, sir? Did you do stories that Putin was hunting me?” Nawrocki asked, referencing his inclusion on a Russian wanted list related to the dismantling of Soviet-era monuments in Poland while serving as the head of the Institute of National Remembrance.
“Sir, get a grip and listen to what the President of Poland says. I’m telling you, Vladimir Putin is a criminal. Do you understand, sir? Goodbye,” Nawrocki concluded.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted to the incident, appealing for restraint and urging Nawrocki “not to shout at journalists.” He added, “They didn’t get you into this Russian mess.”
TVN’s “Fakty” news program aired a segment on the matter on March 25, emphasizing the role of journalists in asking challenging questions.
Poll: Over Half of Older Respondents Disapprove of Nawrocki’s Conduct
A recent SW Research poll for rp.pl surveyed respondents on their assessment of President Nawrocki’s response to the TVN24 journalist.
According to the poll, 27.6 percent of respondents viewed Nawrocki’s behavior positively.
42.2 percent of those surveyed expressed a negative opinion of the incident.
9.3 percent of respondents stated they had no opinion on the matter.
20.9 percent of poll participants said they were unaware of the situation.
“Karol Nawrocki’s behavior is viewed negatively by more than half of respondents over the age of 50 (52 percent) and a slightly lower percentage of respondents (48 percent) with higher education. This opinion is shared by half of the study participants earning over 7,000 zł net and more than six out of ten residents of the largest cities (62 percent),” commented Przemysław Wesołowski, president of the SW Research agency.
Methodology
The study was conducted by the SW Research agency among users of the SW Panel online panel from March 24-25, 2026. The analysis covered a group of 800 internet users over the age of 18. The sample was selected using a random-quota method. The structure of the sample was corrected using analytical weighting to reflect the structure of Poles over the age of 18 in terms of key characteristics related to the subject of the study. Socio-demographic variables were taken into account when constructing the weight.
