French President began the third and final day of his state visit to Germany in the western city of Münster, where he was presented with the International Award of the Peace of Westphalia by German President .
Praising Macron as a “passionate European,” Steinmeier thanked the French President for his affection for his country’s neighbor, saying: “That and are so close today, is down to people like you.”
He said Macron was “always ready to approach Germany, open up discussions and coax us out of our reservedness from time to time.”
The International Award of the Peace of Westphalia, named after the 1648 peace treaty which ended the , is a private sector prize awarded every two years to an individual or a representative of a group or state which has contributed to European solidarity.
It was initially supposed to be awarded in 2023, but Macron’s state visit was postponed because of the domestic unrest in France at the time as he tried to implement pension reforms.
“Emmanuel Macron is a fighter for freedom, peace and Europe,” the jury said, praising in particular the French President’s efforts to promote a common European security both before and since in 2022.
Macron calls for common European defense strategy
“Receiving a peace prize in a time of war appeared to me to be a paradox,” said Macron in his acceptance speech, before reiterating his calls for a common European defense policy.
“But peace also means taking risks. If we proceed nationalistically, Ukraine will lose and we will have no peace in Europe for many years.”
“I believe we have to be more optimistic,” he continued. “As a European, being optimistic means being sure that Europe is the right answer.”
Whether the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis or threats to democracy, Macron said: “We have to start Europe’s next stage. We need to build up our European defense and become independent of our US partners.”
Commission President , who also took part in the award ceremony, backed Macron’s calls for stronger and more coordinated European defense efforts.
“The last few years have clearly shown us that we must develop our own European strength if we want to protect peace on our continent,” she said, highlighting in particular the task of developing a common European air defense system.
Macron to meet Scholz near Berlin
After the ceremony, Macron and Steinmeier signed the Golden Book of the city of Münster before greeting crowds from the balcony of the town hall.
Along with widespread applause, there were also boos and whistles from pro-Palestinian demonstrators and opponents of nuclear energy.
On day one of his state visit on Sunday, Macron praised the and took part in a game of table football with Steinmeier in Berlin.
He began day two with a visit to the Holocaust Memorial in the German capital before traveling to the eastern city of where, speaking in both French and German, he warned of the threat of authoritarianism and “in the center of Europe.”
From Münster, Macron was to travel to Schloss Meseberg near Berlin, the official state guest house of the German Federal Republic to meet Chancellor . The pair are expected to discuss European defense strategy and economic competitiveness, with a press conference scheduled for Tuesday evening.
mf/msh (dpa, AFP, epd)
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