Ursula von der Leyen receives Charlemagne Prize: “Voice of Europe”

As a “strong voice of Europe in the world”, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be awarded the Charlemagne Prize 2025.

In a time of epoch-making challenges, in which the European Union is threatened from outside by Russia’s war of aggression and from within by racists and demagogues, it is vigorously representing Europe’s interests, the Charlemagne Prize Directorate explained its decision.

Von der Leyen’s special achievements were the containment of the corona pandemic, the united and decisive stance against Russia and the impetus for the “Green Deal”, with which the EU wants to become climate neutral by 2050.

The International Charlemagne Prize in Aachen is considered the most important award for services to European unification.

The 66-year-old von der Leyen has been President of the European Commission in Brussels since 2019. After the European elections last June, in which her center-right EPP alliance received the most votes, she was confirmed for her second term in office. Before moving to Brussels, the CDU politician was, among other things, Federal Minister of Defense for six years.

In its justification, the Charlemagne Prize Directorate paints the picture of a threatened union. “The European model of life of freedom, peace, democracy and prosperity is at risk,” says the text from the 19 board members.

“The world order is changing and Europe must act. Ursula von der Leyen is the person who has this strategic task for the European Union and who will master it.” She played a key role in ensuring that the EU dealt with crises of epochal proportions “closely and successfully”.

After the European elections last June, she succeeded in uniting large parts of the political center behind her and creating a clear pro-European majority. “Thanks to von der Leyen and her skilful diplomatic actions, Europe was able to push opponents, doubters and skeptics into the minority.”

The Charlemagne Prize was founded shortly after the Second World War by the citizens of Aachen at the suggestion of the entrepreneur Kurt Pfeiffer. It is named after Emperor Charlemagne, whose Frankish Empire stretched across large parts of Western Europe in the early Middle Ages and who is therefore sometimes referred to as the “Father of Europe”.

Among the first winners were Chancellor Konrad Adenauer (1954) and the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1955), who campaigned for the “United States of Europe” after the end of the war. Von der Leyen’s predecessor as Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, was also honored, although as Luxembourg’s head of government in 2006.

The last head of the Commission to receive the prize was Jacques Delors in 1992, who is considered to have completed the European internal market and pioneered the euro. So it is rare for a commission head to win the prize. The last German to be honored with the Charlemagne Prize was the then President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz (SPD), in 2015. Traditionally, the prize is presented on Ascension Day. This year the prize is endowed with one million euros for the first time. According to the wishes of the founders – a couple from Aachen – the money should be used for pro-European projects.