Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Hungary

March 4, 2018
8:10 am

Marshal of the Sejm Marek Kuchcinski and Marshal of the Senate Stanisław Karczewski received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary for their outstanding contributions to the building of political and social relations between Hungary and Poland.

The decoration, at the request of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, was presented by President János Áder. In his laudation in honour of the Speaker of the Sejm, the Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly László Kövér recalled Marek Kuchciński's political path. - He participated in the trade union work of the legendary Solidarity, he took an active part in the creation and distribution of literature, which was called illegal by the authorities but in fact meant freedom and after the regime change he undertook a serious role in the cultural life of his home town," said President Kövér. - In his role of the Speaker of the House he is an active participant both politically and socially, in the shaping of the Polish-Hungarian relations - he also emphasized and pointed out the long-term commitment of Marek Kuchciński to the construction of the Carpathian Europe and deepening of the cooperation in the region. - Marshal Kuchciński knows well that the Carpathians unite. They connect areas, countries and people - he emphasized.

Above all, according to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Warsaw and Budapest are connected by common values and traditions. Among these values László Kövér mentioned freedom, respect for predecessors and commitment to future generations. - In the person of Marek Kuchciński Hungary has found a true friend who apart from his activities in public life proves with his words and deeds that it is worth to look for the paths of reconciliation, rapprochement in the whole region divided by conflicts, traumas of the past and that common, Central Europe has a future - we could hear in the laudation given by President Kövér.

- I feel greatly honoured by the President of Hungary awarding me with the Grand Cross of the Order of Hungary. I treat this order as recognition of the whole team that works for Polish-Hungarian friendship in the Seym of the Republic of Poland', said Marek Kuchciński. - We are messengers and at the same time creative continuators of a great cause which began a thousand years ago. We are continuators of the work and traditions of the old dynasties - the Piasts, the Arpads and the Andegawens, the Jagiellons and the Batories. We are heirs of our compatriots from the period of the Spring of Nations and interwar co-operation of the Republic of Poland and the Kingdom of Hungary as well as Poles and Hungarians helping each other during World War II and in 1956. Together we renewed our countries at the turn of the 20th and 21st century. We are building a new Central Europe. We have recognized signum temporis. We understood that our friendship and cooperation, and especially our political significance, can be strengthened by cooperation in the Central European region. I am thinking of the Visegrad Group, Tri-Council, Carpathian Europe and the Warsaw Parliamentary Summits. The common goal is to strengthen the subjectivity of our countries and the Central European region in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance by following the principle "free with free, equal and equal," he said.

The Marshal reminded that recently both Seym of the Republic of Poland and the National Assembly of Hungary have decided to establish the Wacław Felczak Foundation. - I hope that we are beginning institutionalisation of bilateral cooperation addressed to the young generation, we are investing in the future in the fields of science, culture, economy and society," he pointed out.

The Speaker also thanked the Hungarian National Assembly for adopting a Resolution of Support for Poland against the unfounded Article 7 proceedings against us by the European Parliament and the European Commission. - This is the direct dimension of our cooperation. Thank you, Hungarian brothers! - he said.

At the end, the Speaker of the Sejm recalled the words of Victor Orban "Polish-Hungarian friendship is an extraordinary thing in the history of Europe".