Brussels, 21/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 17 May in Aachen, Javier Solana was awarded the Charlemagne Prize. He also congratulated Jean-Claude Juncker and described him as the doyen of the European Council. He explained that it was not surprising that they should address Mr Juncker when they wanted advice or an idea about Europe. Mr Solana then pointed out that after Salvador de Madariaga, he himself was the second member of his family to have received this high distinction. The EU high representative for the CFSP also congratulated two other Charlemagne prize winners, King Juan Carlos, and the former president of the Council, the Socialist Felipe Gonzalez.
Solana declared: “I am convinced that we should continue the European integration process… But the Union is a work in progress. That is why I am convinced that we need changes in various spheres. Changes in the things we do and how; changes in how we communicate with our citizens and spend their money; changes in how we deal with the rest of the world”. He regretted, however, that: “Just when we should be at our most alert, just when the world's demand for Europe is at its highest, the Union has turned inwards, immersed in a sterile institutional crisis. We cannot go on like this… This must be resolved as soon as possible, in 2007. For this reason, I unreservedly support Chancellor Merkel in her efforts to put an end to this hiatus and put Europe back on a solid footing to face the future”, before stressing: “But our citizens want more than a market and a regional stabilisation project. They also want the Union to be a global player. And they want it, by acting globally, to be a factor for peace. Nowadays, international politics can only be conducted from continental platforms. Europe has interests to preserve and threats to counter. It has problems which affect it and which it must solve. To meet these objectives, we have to pursue a genuine external policy, including a defence and security policy”. (oj)