Poland launched its presidency of the Council of the European Union on Friday mired in a diplomatic row with Hungary that underscored a deepening sense of political disunity across Europe just as it confronts a raft of major global challenges.

Poland withdrew an invitation for Hungary’s ambassador to a European Union-themed gala after Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government granted asylum to a fugitive Polish opposition lawmaker.

A gala was held in Warsaw on Friday as Poland officially assumed the presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2025.

Poland decided not to invite Hungary's ambassador to an event on Friday launching Warsaw's EU presidency after Budapest gave asylum to a former deputy minister who is under investigation over alleged misuse of public funds,

Poland will chair the European Council — one of the bloc's legislative bodies made up of 27 national ministers from each member state, whose portfolios include different policy areas — for the second time after almost 14 years, when incumbent Prime Minister Donald Tusk was also in office.