Brussels, 15/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday 14 December, the Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors announced the winner of the 57th Charlemagne Prize as the current President of the European Parliament, Germany's Martin Schulz.
The Mayor of Aachen, Marcel Philipp, and Dr Jürgen Linden, President of the Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors, paid tribute in a press release to “an outstanding mentor of a united Europe who has earned important and lasting merits for his efforts towards a strengthening of parliament, parliamentarianism and democratic legitimation in the EU”.
Upon hearing the news, Martin Schulz said via his Twitter account that he was “moved” and “honoured”. He described it as a recognition of the “central role” of the European Parliament in reinforcing “democratic legitimacy” and the “defence of the pan-European common good”.
A Member of the European Parliament since 1994, the German Social Democrat became the President of his group and then, in 2013, took the helm of the European institution, taking over from the Polish Christian Democrat President Jerzy Buzek in a political agreement on the Presidency of the EP between the two main political groups, the EPP and the S&D. In March 2014, the Social Democrat party made Schulz its chef de file in the European election campaign, with an eye to the Presidency of the European Commission. The gamble failed to pay off: the leader of the EPP, the Luxembourg Christian Democrat Jean-Claude Juncker (winner of the Charlemagne Prize in 2006), took up this position in early November following the overall victory of his political group in Europe. Schulz then returned for a second term as President of the European Parliament, a first for the institution.
The 57th Charlemagne Prize will be awarded on 14 May 2015 in the Throne Room of the Town Hall of Aachen. In addition to the nomination decree, each winner receives a medal featuring a reproduction of the ancient seal of the City of Aachen, dating from the 12th century and picturing Charlemagne on his throne. The reverse bears a personal dedication to the winner. (MB)