The International Charlemagne Prize is considered the most important award for services to the unification of Europe.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will receive the Charlemagne Prize. It was announced on January 15 on the European Prize website.
The 19-member executive board said the EC leader was “a strong voice for Europe in the world.”
“The European model of life, based on freedom, peace, democracy and prosperity, is under threat. The world order is changing, and Europe must act. Ursula von der Leyen is the person facing the task of strategic development of the European Union and who carries it out,” – said the explanation.
It was noted that when the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, the EU stood up to the challenge and responded quickly, accepting more than 4 million refugees from Ukraine and mobilizing more than 130 billion euros in humanitarian, economic and military At the same time, the European Commission issued more than a dozen sanctions packages against the Russian aggressor, as well as freezing the funds of the Russian Central Bank in the EU alone in the amount of more than €210 billion.
“Together with allies around the world, the EU provided collective military support based on solidarity to Ukraine in its defense war as soon as Ukraine officially obtained the status of an EU candidate country and subsequently year it was decided to start accession negotiations.” the rationale for the award’s executive board members’ decision is read.
It also considers the role of the European Commission in reducing dependence on Russian energy sources after the Kremlin’s attempt to blackmail the EU with their supplies became apparent at the beginning of the war of occupation. The special achievements of the Germans in preventing the coronavirus pandemic and the push for the implementation of the Green Deal, where the EU aims to be climate neutral by 2050, were also mentioned.
The International Charlemagne Prize was established shortly after the Second World War and is now considered the most important award for services to the unification of Europe. It is awarded every year in Aachen.
Let’s remember that in 2022, Ukrainian citizens and President Vladimir Zelensky were awarded the European Charlemagne Prize for the protection of European values.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.