Brussels, 09/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Mayor of Aachen, Marcel Philipp, and Dr Jürgen Linden, president of the Charlemagne Prize board, announced on 7 December that the winner of the Charlemagne Prize 2014 is Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council.
This prize is awarded “in honour of Herman Van Rompuy who, as an intermediary providing consensus while at the same time giving fresh impetus to European unity, has made a decisive contribution to the consolidation and development of European unity”, a press release reads.
The Prize will be awarded on 29 May 2014, Ascension Day, in the Coronation Hall of the town hall of Aachen. Herman Van Rompuy will thus become the 56th winner of the Charlemagne Prize.
“Van Rompuy's efficient and hard work, his perseverance and pragmatism have provided the European Council with the power to define the political objectives of the EU and let concrete measures follow its resolutions - especially for political areas that fall within the responsibility of nation states”. Herman Van Rompuy was appointed the first permanent President of the European Council at the extraordinary summit of the European Council on 19 November 2009.
The President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, is the previous winner of the Charlemagne Prize. (LC/transl.fl)