Today, in the German city of Aachen, President Ursula von der Leyen received the renowned Charlemagne Prize, in honour of "an outstanding leader who is guiding the EU through a period of profound transformation with vision, courage, strength and foresight", as the Prize's board explained.
President von Leyen follows her predecessors Walter Hallstein and Jacques Delors in being awarded the Charlemagne Prize while in office, and she joins other admired Europeans recognised for their work in favour of unity in the continent.
The prize ceremony opened this morning in the Aachen town hall, where King Felipe VI of Spain and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered remarks presenting the reasons to bestow this honour upon the President.
The President went on to deliver an acceptance speech in which she focused on the significance of Aachen for the whole continent and on the way that history has shaped Europe. From Charlemagne's court to the fall of the Iron Curtain, through the holocaust, the President pointed out that Europe must always learn from the lessons of the past, it must always continue to rise and bring peoples and cultures together: "Our future will always be built on our past," she said.
President von der Leyen described what she sees as the next great European project: building an independent Europe.
She said: "We must face the reality of the moment. We cannot sit idly by as upheaval unfolds. We cannot allow ourselves to be thrown off course by the seismic changes that we are facing. Or once again fall for the fallacy that the storm will pass. That things will go back to how they were before – if only the war would end, or a tariff deal be struck, or the next elections have a different outcome. No, they will not."
Because of that, Europe must take things in its own hands and build its own future: "A future that is free from coercion and aggression. One that ensures that the next generations are able to live the European dream our founders fought so hard for. A Union that is open to the world. A Union that strikes partnerships and alliances to boost our security and economy. A Union that respects the natural foundations of life. A Union that stands up for its values and interests on the global stage. A Union that provides stability across Europe."
And she underlined that Europe does not only mean the EU but all friends and partners across the continent, including the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, Greenland, the United Kingdom and Norway.
In her speech, President von der Leyen then elaborated on four "key imperatives" to build an independent Europe.
She spoke of developing a "Pax Europaea for the 21st century". "Thanks to NATO we perhaps thought that times of relative peace were here to stay", the President said, adding that it also led to complacency amongst European partners.
Europe must answer to the adversaries of open and democratic societies. They have rearmed and remobilised, as Vladimir Putin has demonstrated with his brutal war against Ukraine. That is why, in an unprecedented action, Europe is providing up to €800 billion for Member States to raise their defence spending and defend peace.
To be independent, Europe must also put competitiveness and innovation at the centre. Europe can build on its many strengths, including a powerful Single Market and a prosperous social market economy, to lead the economy of the future: "We have a master plan to bring that to life. A master plan that puts investing in innovation, AI and new technologies at the heart of our business model. A master plan that cares for the environment, for natural resources, and the health of future generations. A master plan that reignites our European industrial traditions. And that makes it easier to attract investment, start a small business and scale it up right here in Europe. Simpler, faster and more agile. We want the business world to Choose Europe."
The President highlighted how much global partners are approaching Europe, looking for good opportunities and stability. And while putting trade relations with the US back on a stronger footing remains a priority, the President von der Leyen pointed out that 87% of the EU's trade is with other countries, from South America to South Korea, and from Canada to New Zealand.
The next imperative for an independent Europe, according to President von der Leyen, is completing Europe's reunification by welcoming those countries that have made a free, sovereign choice to join the EU, such as Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. Unity will make the EU stronger, at home and abroad. It will reduce dangerous dependencies and ensure democracy, prosperity and stability across the continent.
A strong democracy is precisely the last imperative described by the President. Democracy has to be protected from adversaries from the outside and from within. In the wake of the rise of extremist and illiberal forces, there is a collective obligation to protect and preserve European democracy. She described the task at hand saying: "I do not believe in complaining about people who vote for extremes. No, it is up to us to make a stronger argument. It is up to us to understand the reasons for their miscontent. Many have concerns over the way irregular migration is handled. About the cost of living or the cost of housing. The excessive bureaucracy in everyday life. We do not defend our democracy by defending the status quo. We must be the drivers of change. It is only by showing that democracy works for people and that it delivers, that we can create a stronger Union."
The President ended her acceptance speech with a plea for unity, for bringing together people and cultures, and she underlined specially the role that young people play in building that Union.
She concluded: "We are all proud children of our countries. But our roots do not stop at national borders. Our souls have been shaped by the tales and experiences of our fellow Europeans. We are not only Italian, French or German. Not only Swedish or Spanish. Not only Portuguese or Polish. We are European. This empathy, this solidarity, this culture. This is what makes us Europeans. And this is what makes me look to the future of our Union with resolve and optimism. This is the legacy we must pass on to our children. Because we have inherited it from those who went before us. And it is up to us to make it our independent Europe."
