• Aachen celebrated the 75th anniversary of the International Charlemagne Prize with a grand ceremony in the Coronation Hall of Aachen Town Hall.
• The event was attended by numerous guests from politics, science and society to honor the importance of the prize for European unification.
• In her speech, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, warned of internal and external threats, but particularly emphasized the opportunities that Europe now has.

This ceremony on March 15 was special for two reasons. Not only because it was held to mark the 75th anniversary of the Charlemagne Prize. But also because it came at a time when Europe is struggling with major challenges. Unsurprisingly, the focus of this anniversary celebration was therefore not a self-laudatory review of European achievements, but rather the speeches revolved around acute questions of security, democracy and the economic future of Europe.
In the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall on this Saturday morning, an honest stocktaking was therefore heard. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, had traveled to Aachen especially for the event. The 46-year-old gave a passionate and blunt speech to the audience in the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall, in which she warned that "the same forces that drove Europe forward 75 years ago must also drive the Union today - peace, security and the everlasting promise of a better life for our people."

The President addressed the skepticism of many citizens towards the EU: "Too often, people feel that European politics does not listen to them," she said. The EU must therefore "show people what they have in Europe and how Europe makes a tangible difference in their everyday lives", said Metsola. Awarding the Charlemagne Prize is an opportunity to do just that. "After all, it is not governments, not institutions, but citizens who award it - people who believe in Europe not as a distant project or an abstract figure on a map, but as a shared responsibility."

"The time for indecision is over"
Currently, this shared responsibility means showing that, in addition to trade and freedom of movement, the EU is also a project for security and the defense of peace. This includes, for example, supporting Ukraine. "Our security and the security of Ukraine are inextricably linked. The time for indecision is over. Now we have to act."

That is why we now need more investment in defense, stronger European cooperation and a strong internal market. "Without a strong, competitive, fair and open economy, we will not be able to invest in our security and our people," said Roberta Metsola. She spoke out in favor of a strong common financial policy and a better energy supply. And then, after all the words of warning, Metsola ventured a hopeful, encouraging outlook: "If we succeed, and if we are courageous, Europe's best days are still ahead of us."

Europe as a "living promise"
Mayor Sibylle Keupen echoed a similarly confident attitude in her welcoming address. The call for more commitment ran like a red thread through her speech. "In this anniversary year, let us show that Europe is not a distant institution, but a living promise," she said, emphasizing the responsibility that each generation bears for the European project: "The vision of European understanding and democracy cannot be taken for granted. It must be won anew by each generation, as the enormous challenges we face again today, 75 years later, show us." Her message was clear: Europe must remain capable of acting and must not become rigid.

"Europe and the European way of life are something special"
Dr. Jürgen Linden, Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors, echoed this message and called for even greater attention to be paid to the needs of all Europeans in the future. "Europe and the European way of life are something special - but we should also extend its privileges to those who feel neglected," explained Linden. The Charlemagne Prize is therefore a platform for inspiration. "With the Charlemagne Prize, we want to influence politics in a European sense and highlight those who have rendered outstanding services to the unity of Europe in various ways." Be it classically in politics, in science or in culture.

Panel discussion
The subsequent panel discussion was also intended to focus on this interaction. Roberta Metsola and Jürgen Linden were joined on stage by 2020/21 Charlemagne Prize scholarship holder Dr. Hannah Pool and 2020 Youth Charlemagne Prize winner Dr. Simon Strauß. Hannah Pool is a research associate at the Max Planck Institute in Cologne and conducted research during her fellowship on the question of how freedom of movement shapes solidarity within the EU. She spoke about the role of science for the European community. "We are currently hearing in many places that we have to fight for Europe. I therefore put this question to everyone: what is it that you are fighting for?" Pool has found a clear answer for himself. "I'm fighting for academic freedom. For me, this means being able to experiment again and again, to cooperate with other scientists worldwide and to have humility. Unfortunately, however, the freedom of science is currently being increasingly called into question worldwide, and unfortunately also in Europe."
Youth Karl Prize winner Simon Strauß was honored at the time for the "European Archives of Voices" project and is now an editor in the feature section of the F.A.Z. He emphasized that the role of culture in European understanding should not be neglected. "Ideas such as decency, justice and freedom - these are all values that are made up of the most diverse areas of our culture: from philosophy as well as from civic engagement." He argued that Europeans should not just criticize what is going badly, but should focus more on what they stand for: "We need to concentrate on what we stand for, not what we stand against."

Prestigious European award
The ceremony was accompanied by performances by the well-known Aachen a cappella choir "Flow". The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen is named after Charlemagne and is considered one of the most prestigious European awards. Since 1950, it has honored personalities and institutions that have rendered outstanding services to European unification.