F.l.t.r. Jürgen Linden, Speaker of the Board of Directors, Charlemagne Prize, Armin Laschet, Premier of NRW, Javier Solana, Felipe VI of Spain and French President Emmanuel Macron.
10 May 2018, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: French President Emmanuel Macron was awarded the International Charlemagne Prize in Aachen “in recognition of his vision for a new Europe.”
German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel greeted Macron outside Aachen’s landmark cathedral just before the celebrations got under way.
Awarded by the city of Aachen, the first city in western Germany to be liberated during the Second World War, the prize honours work performed in the service of the European community. It has been bestowed upon meritorious recipients since 1950.
It is named after Emperor Carolus Magnus, or Charlemagne, ruler of the Franks; who united large territories of modern-day France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. He was buried at Aachen.
Other personalities who have received the prize include incumbent European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Bishops of Rome, Franciscus and Ioannis Paulus II, former European Parliament president Martin Schulz, EU founding father Robert Schuman, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, former UK prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, the entire European Commission in 1969 and in 1986 the people of Luxembourg.
In Aachen, President Macron also partook in a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Western partners are eager to discuss with Poroshenko the progress of reforms in Ukraine.
For further information:
- http://www.karlspreis.de/en/
- French Embassy to Germany (HE Ambassador Anne-Marie Descôtes): https://de.
ambafrance.org/Emmanuel- Macron-laureat-du-prix- Charlemagne-2018-17772 - French Presidency: http://www.elysee.
fr/toutes-les-actualites/ - http://www.diplomatmagazine.
nl/2017/12/12/charlemagne- prize-macron/ - Award ceremony: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=MbyMJMAqBkA
