President Andrzej Duda handed the state decorations on the May 3rd Constitution Day

President Andrzej Duda awarded the Order of the White Eagle Janusz Kapusta and Jerzy Kropiwnicki. As he said, he is proud that he could decorate two visionaries with the highest Polish decorations.

On Saturday is the 234th anniversary of the adoption of the 3rd May Constitution. During the ceremony at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, President Duda awarded the orders of the White Eagle Janusz Kapusta and Jerzy Kropiwnicki.

Janusz Kapusta is a cartoonist, painter and set designer, inventor of the eleven-wall block, which K-Dron called. He was awarded “in recognition of distinguished merits in scientific, artistic and creative activities, as a special example of creativity, expanding the imagination and building a positive image of Poland in the world.”

Jerzy Kropiwnicki is an activist of the democratic opposition from the PRL period, economist and politician. In the years 2002–2010 he was the president of Łódź, and earlier a minister in the rule of Jan Olszewski, Hanna Suchocka and Jerzy Buzek. He was awarded “in the recognition of distinguished merits for the Republic of Poland, in particular for democratic and free Poland, for achievements in state and public activities”

Duda: This is the Order of Free Poland

During the speech, the president said that he was very proud that he could decorate with the highest Polish decorations of two visionaries. – This is the oldest Polish award and the highest Polish award. The highest dignity in the sense that the Polish state can grant to a person, a man distinguished for the Republic of Poland – said Duda.

He pointed out that the Order of the White Eagle is the Order of Free, Sovereign and Independent Poland.

– He always existed and was awarded when Poland was free, sovereign and independent, from its creation, from its first granting from the royal hand. From the great of the Polish -Lithuanian Commonwealth, hundreds of years ago, through all moments in its history. Whenever Poland was not on the map, the order of the White Eagle so much disappeared and was not broadcast. He returned with free Poland. So you can safely say that he is actually the Order of Free Poland, and this is its special feature and this is its extraordinary feature – he emphasized.

“You not only survived it all”

During the ceremony, the president emphasized the role of Kropiwnicki in the creation of Solidarity structures during the PRL. He noted that martial law is “black time in the last history of the Commonwealth and the second half of the 20th century in our country and for us Poles.” He added that it was a time of “taking away hope, or at least trying to take it away for a while”.

Duda thanked Kropiwnicki for the survival of “communist crimes, driving out into frost, pouring water in the cold and other such methods.” – Not only did you survive all this, not only did it not break the Lord, despite the permanent mutilation you suffered in prison as a result of torturing, but you returned to the opposition activity and as a result you can safely say that the Lord won – he assessed.

The president drew attention to Kropiwnicki's merits as a minister, as well as a deputy on Sejm of the Republic of Poland 1st and 3rd term. According to Duda, Kropiwnicki carried “the idea of ​​a fair state, which must be so economically transformed that it would be for every citizen and to see and see him.” He also emphasized his achievements as the president of Łódź in 2002–2010.

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