European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was awarded the 2024 Charlemagne Prize on Wednesday in Aachen, Germany, in recognition of her leadership in steering the European Union through a period of “profound transformation” marked by war, geopolitical uncertainty and enlargement debates.
The Charlemagne Prize board hailed von der Leyen as “an outstanding leader who is guiding the EU with vision, courage, strength and foresight.” Past recipients of the award include Winston Churchill, Emmanuel Macron and Pope Francis.
In her acceptance speech, von der Leyen laid out her vision for what she described as “Europe’s next great project”: building an independent Europe capable of defending its values and interests in an increasingly volatile world.
“A Union that stands up for its values and interests on the global stage… A Union that provides stability across Europe,” von der Leyen said, calling for a continent united beyond the EU’s current borders. “When I say Europe, I of course mean our Union. But I also mean doing this together with our friends and partners across the continent. From the Western Balkans to Ukraine and Moldova. From Greenland to the United Kingdom and beyond,” she said (European Commission, May 29).
Von der Leyen identified four “key imperatives” in building this independent Europe, with enlargement at the heart of the agenda. She called for the “next historical reunification” of the continent through a merit-based enlargement process.
“A larger, reunified European Union will strengthen our voice in the world,” she said. “It will help reduce our dependencies. It will ensure that democracy, prosperity and stability are strengthened across Europe” (European Commission, May 29).
Drawing a parallel to the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989, von der Leyen framed the current geopolitical moment—shaped by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—as another turning point for Europe.
“We see every day in Ukraine what fighting for freedom means,” she said. “So yes, this is a historic moment. And we must not let it pass us by. We must answer that call. For Ukraine. For the Western Balkans. For Moldova. Hopefully for Georgia. For all those who have made their choice. For a free and peaceful future inside our Union” (European Commission, May 29).
Von der Leyen’s speech comes ahead of the European Parliament elections in June and amid heightened debates over EU enlargement, particularly regarding the candidacies of Ukraine, Moldova, and several Western Balkan nations.
The Charlemagne Prize, formally known as the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen, has been awarded annually since 1950 to individuals or institutions that have contributed to European unification.