The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has become this year’s winner of the Timisoara Prize for European Values, established by the Municipality of Timisoara. The award will be presented to her in Timisoara at a ceremony on May 22, according to a press release from the organisers.
“The prize was awarded by a jury composed of leading figures of the Romanian professional community in various fields. In nominating Her Excellency, the jury appreciated that through his strong leadership and clear vision of a united and viable Europe, she has demonstrated that politics can be an instrument of progress and hope. In a period of serious challenges for Europe, Roberta Metsola has played an important role in mobilising European support for Ukraine, promoting concrete humanitarian and military assistance measures and advocating for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The jury was impressed by Roberta Metsola’s firm position as a reliable ally of Romania in its endeavour to join the Schengen area, constantly reaffirming that our country’s place is next to other member states in this area of free movement,” the press release said.
The jury unanimously chose President Roberta Metsola:
“I have great respect for her also because she is a pragmatic, balanced President of the European Parliament and a consensus-builder”(Ambassador Simona Miculescu),
“Roberta Metsola is the eternally young spirit of European politics. All her initiatives in the fight against corruption and the courage she shows in all circumstances, her honesty and firmness are remarkable” (Judge Iulia Motoc),
“I appreciate Roberta Metsola for her courage to defend a European Union built on compromise while maintaining her strong convictions. She is a source of inspiration” (conductor Cristian Macelaru),
“The awarding of the Timisoara Prize for European Values to Mrs Roberta Metsola takes on a special significance these days. Our award is a sign of solidarity, commitment and hope that these values will prevail” (writer Adriana Babeti),
“Roberta Metsola is only two months older than me: she is 46 years old. But she has achieved goals that would have taken others twice as many years to achieve” (film director Anca Miruna Lazarescu).
The Timisoara Prize for European Values was established by the Municipality of Timisoara to reward internationally recognised individuals who, through determination, courage and creativity, promote or defend European values within and outside the European Union. The first recipient of the award was the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who was present in Timisoara last year to present the award.
The jury is composed of: Iulia Motoc (The Hague), judge of the International Criminal Court; Cristian Macelaru (Cologne), music director of the Orchestre National de France; Simona Miculescu (Paris), Ambassador, President of the General Conference of UNESCO; Anca Miruna Lazarescu (Munich), film director and screenwriter; Adriana Babeti (Timisoara), writer and literary critic; Dominic Fritz, Mayor of Timisoara.
The prize was established with funds from private companies in the amount of 30,000 euros.
