The Andrzej Bączkowski award was handed over to NIK President on 2 April, in the editor’s office of ”Rzeczpospolita” daily, the media patron of the event.
The award patron, Andrzej Bączkowski, was a highly respectable person. He used to be an activist of the democratic opposition, then a state official - Vice-Minister and Minister of Labour in six subsequent cabinets. He was decorated with the Order of Polonia Restituta (one of Poland's highest Orders) for outstanding merits in the public and state service.
This distinction has been awarded since 1997. Its laureates in the past years included among others Anna Dymna[1] and Henryk Wujec[2]. This year the Award Jury have unanimously pointed to Krzysztof Kwiatkowski. ”All his actions are driven by the benefit of the public, not by his own ambitions or political well-being. He has the courage to express his own opinion in politics. He has respect for others. He does not make promises when he knows they cannot be kept.” - Michał Boni[3] said about Kwiatkowski during the event.
It was the 17th time the Andrzej Bączkowski distinction was awarded. Next to Krzysztof Kwiatkowski the Jury also distinguished three other persons: Olga Krzyżanowska[4], Ewa Kulik-Bielińska[5] and Grażyna Staniszewska[6].
[1] Polish actress and foundress of a charity foundation;
[2] Polish politician, physicist, former opposition activist, advisor to the President of Poland, former Member of the Sejm and former Vice-Minister of Agriculture;
[3] Polish politician, former Minister of Labour and Social Policy, former Member of the Sejm, former Minister of Administration and Digitalisation;
[4] Polish politician, social activist, doctor, former Member and Vice-Marshall of the Sejm, former Senator;
[5] translator, former opposition activist, editor of independent journals, director of the Stefan Batory Foundation;
[6] Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament.
