Recent years have witnessed “the first steps of a renaissance in central Europe,” he said, adding that “there are many excellent colleagues in the Visegrad group.”

He highlighted the importance of friendship between Hungary and Poland as well as good relations between their peoples and leaders.

Igor Janke, a Polish political scientist who has written a monograph about Orbán, said in his laudation that Orbán had demonstrated during his career that, given the chance, change can always be made.

“He is a strong, decisive and brave politician and only people like him can succeed in making changes in difficult situations such as the current one,” he added. The award was handed over to Orbán by Polish counterpart Beata Szydło.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Balázs Szecsődi