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Polish government does not want the Hungarian ambassador to attend the inauguration of the EU presidency in Warsaw. The reason is Hungary granting asylum to Marcin Romanowski. Oh, our Prime Minister is furious about this! Rumor has it that István Ijgyártó, the Hungarian ambassador to Warsaw, upon hearing of this affront, spent a sleepless night. Restless legs syndrome struck him, and he danced his way to the neighboring bedroom.
Meanwhile, MP Romanowski, who claims that the granting of asylum is a response to political persecution in Poland, has renounced his parliamentary salary and called the Speaker of the Sejm a “clown.” On this point, I must disagree with Mr. Romanowski in the strongest possible terms and, at the same time, boldly stand in defense of all clowns who might feel deeply offended. Clowns play an invaluable role in entertaining society, especially its youngest members! A clown, Mr. MP, is a highly respectable INSTITUTION with a centuries-old tradition rooted in the figure of the court jester. Their task was not only to entertain but also to speak truths others would not dare to utter in the ruler’s presence. William Shakespeare wrote in Twelfth Night: „Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun; it shines everywhere.” Your comparison, Mr. Romanowski, misses the mark entirely. The Rotational Speaker Hołownia is, at best, our quaintly provincial (and dear to our hearts) weeping willow.
“We invited the entire diplomatic corps, but following the situation with Mr. Romanowski, Minister Sikorski sent a note to the Hungarian ambassador that he is not a welcome guest at the Theater,” confirmed Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka from the Prime Minister’s Office. “We are waiting to see if a lower-ranking representative will attend.” Mr. Ambassador (addressing Mr. Ijgyártó) – here’s a free suggestion: send a janitor or a cook, appropriately reflecting the significance of the event. A cook might be an excellent choice, as she could – incidentally – hand out csabai kolbász (spicy Hungarian sausage), which would undoubtedly enhance the prestige and appeal of the gathering.
Returning to MP Romanowski – how dare he, of his own accord, renounce his parliamentary salary?! Our distinguished weeping willow did not mobilize teams of experts to strike at the fugitive just for him to turn around and thumb his nose at the Rotational Speaker. Allow me to offer Mr. Hołownia another splendid free scenario: we do not accept the asylum seeker’s renunciation of his salary, and therefore Romanowski can still collect his wages. Immediately after making this announcement, we seize said salary and allocate it to an orchestra – preferably a charitable one that provides aid somewhere. Everyone wins: MP Romanowski gets what he wanted (or doesn’t, depending on perspective), the Rotational Speaker demonstrates his efficacy (he wanted to and successfully took action), and the orchestra – tirelessly drying flooded basements – finally receives much-needed paper towels.
A Hungarian proverb says that you know a bird by its feathers and a man by his friends. For us Poles, Hungarians have “always” been brothers, and no Sikorski or Tusk will drive a wedge between us. “Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát, együtt harcol, s issza borát!” (Pole and Hungarian – two good friends, together they fight and drink their wine!)
