Speech by President von der Leyen at the award ceremony of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen

European Commission -Speech Speech by President von der Leyen at the award ceremony of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen Aachen, 29 May 2025 “Check against delivery” Your Majesty, Federal Chancellor Merz, Lord-Mayor Keupen, Dr Linden, Esteemed laureates of the Charlemagne Prize, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Europe is my life. And it is the greatest honour of my life to stand here before you all today. I want to start by thanking His Majesty King Felipe and Chancellor Merz from the bottom of my heart. Their words breathe the spirit of the Charlemagne Prize. And this prize – this city – stands out as a symbol of a united Europe. There is so much in Aachen which speaks to our culture and history. To Europe's outstanding beauty – and to our tragic struggles. To our many renaissances and our rise from the ashes. The miracle of Europe – the reunification of people, history and destiny – is etched in this city. And being here since yesterday has afforded me the rare luxury of calmly reflecting on that and its wider meaning. On where Europe has come from and what it is today. And even more importantly about where we are heading in this historically tense period. There are three monuments here, in the centre of Aachen. They speak powerfully about history and the importance of Europe. The first is the Aachen Cathedral. I was allowed to attend a special mass this morning. Looking up at the Palatine Chapel, you feel the weight of history, in what was...