British philosopher, writer Sir Roger Scruton decorated for outstanding services to Poland

Honest politics is based on serving people, on listening to people, on listening to social needs; the professor has given us the recipe how to do it, Polish President Andrzej Duda stated on Tuesday during a ceremony to decorate British writer Roger Scruton.

Sir Roger was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland "in recognition of outstanding service in support of the democratic changes in Poland, and for developing Polish-British academic and university cooperation." President Duda noted that the award was granted on the 30th anniversary of the landmark June 4, 1989, elections in Poland.

"I mention it because, in 1979, the professor wrote an essay - of course in Great Britain - which had the title 'What is conservatism?'" the president stated, pointing out that in the essay Scruton gave "his recipe for how politics should be conducted and what it is that we are striving for" and wrote about "the necessity to withdraw from ideology for the sake of the idea. The idea understood as what grows from life, from the history of the nation, society and the state."

Andrzej Duda underscored that in 1980 and throughout the 1980s and "as a result, in 1989, Poles showed that they want to be free, they showed that as a society, as a nation, breaking the communist ideology."

"I have no doubt that these ideas, espoused by the professor, contributed to the growth of that courage in Polish society, to do it. It was not a victory of politicians of the then anti-communist opposition. It was a great victory of Polish society, people who beat communism through the power of the ballot paper," the president declared.

Scruton thanked the president in Polish "for this great honour." "Communism ended thanks to the faith and patriotism of the Polish nation," Scruton observed. "I am honoured that I could play a humble role in that."