Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has presented philosopher and writer Sir Roger Scruton with the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Middle Cross.
According to MTI, the prime minister said Sir Roger had “recognized the dangers of illegal migration and protected Hungary from unjust criticism”.
Sir Roger is a member of the Royal Society of Literature and guest professor at The University of Buckingham and Oxford University.
During the laudation ceremony held at the Hungarian embassy in London, President János Áder bestowed the award which was handed over by PM Orbán.
“Our dear professor taught us that conservatism is not an ideology but rather the polar opposite of one,” PM Orbán said, adding that Sir Roger was a man of action who did not just oppose communist ideology but also acted as a strong ally of anti-communist forces in central and eastern Europe during the communist era.
The prime minister said that on the other hand, he didn’t support open societies blindly but warned of its errors and dangers, adding that Scruton was “a friend of freedom-loving Hungarians”, saying the philosopher had recognized that freedom was based on nation states and Christian civilization.
On receiving his award, Sir Roger said Hungary had preserved its precious identity in times when pressure to accept global uniformity and eliminate national differences could be felt everywhere.
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