Hungarian-Polish Institute of Freedom

Mission Statement

The age-old friendship between Hungarians and Poles binds us to mutual care and attentiveness. It was from this spirit of solidarity that the Hungarian-Polish Institute of Freedom was born—established by the Centre for Fundamental Rights. The Institute’s mission is to explore the enduring values that form the foundation of our legal and political systems, and which have united our countries across centuries and political regimes. These values have united our nations for centuries, regardless of changing political regimes: human flourishing and the common good, along with security, order, justice, and liberty — all rooted in the Christian cultural heritage that provides the framework for the survival and continued growth of national communities.

Preserving and nurturing these values is especially important in the face of today’s threats: the centralization of the European Union, which undermines state sovereignty and national identity; the “woke” ideology; the radical pseudo-environmentalism known as the “green jihad”; and illegal migration. Poland has become a testing ground in which the fundamental values of Western civilization are being challenged and continually attacked. The Institute is committed to analyzing these trends and developing effective early warning mechanisms for defending the freedom and identity of our nations. Just as 86 years ago Hungary opened its heart to Polish refugees, so it does again today. The Institute is now headed by Marcin Romanowski, a lawyer and former Deputy Minister of Justice, who has found refuge in Hungary.

Yet the story of our intertwined destinies reaches much further back: shared monarchs, common saints, and joint struggles for freedom. Indeed, the Polish Legion supported us during the 1848–49 revolution under the banner of “freedom shared.” Time and again, history has shown that the fates of our nations are closely linked: a free Hungary and a free Poland strengthen each other’s sovereignty. And when one of them loses it, the safety and stability of the other are also weakened. The freedom of our nations is thus a common good—and a shared responsibility. As a lesser-known line of a well-loved proverb about our friendship puts it: “Two brave lads, both lively—may God Almighty bless them kindly.”