<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, received the Carlos V European Prize this Friday at the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste from King Felipe VI. In his speech, the former Spanish Foreign Minister warned of the need to strengthen Europe's defense and security capacity against "figures like Trump and Putin, who could lead us to the brink of the abyss."</strong></h4> Borrell was awarded the 18th edition of the Carlos V European Prize for "his career, his defense of peace, democracy, and European values, and for his contribution to European integration and his drive to develop the European Union's external action, which has strengthened the Union's role and leadership in the world at particularly delicate times." For the jury members, Borrell "has reacted firmly and confidently to the war that began in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine; they also recognized his commitment to multilateralism in the face of major current global challenges, which has allowed him to promote the development of key strategic alliances that strengthen the European Union's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean." The jury, chaired by the President of the Regional Government of Extremadura, María Guardiola Martín, was composed of, among others, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and First Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Yuste Foundation, José Manuel Albares; former Prime Ministers of Spain José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy; Carmen Iglesias, Director of the Royal Academy of History of Spain and member of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste; and Pedro Fernández, Rector of the University of Extremadura. After receiving the award, Borrell warned in his speech that Europe's security is currently "threatened by war and because (Donald) Trump has returned to the White House," and in these circumstances, the EU must "move from structural pacifism to solid rearmament, but doing so on a European scale," and be able to overcome "a comfortable and atavistic Atlanticism" to "build full European sovereignty." "Europe is now more than ever the land of freedom," he stated, but "peace comes at a price, and if we don't pay it, figures like Trump and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin can bring us to the brink of the abyss," he added. Borrell was also highly critical of the EU's stance on the Israeli military operations in Gaza, which he described as "genocide," and lamented that Europe has not shown the same unity in this case that it did in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before the award ceremony, the President of the Regional Government of Extremadura, María Guardiola, stated that, “in turbulent times, where war has once again hardened the European landscape, where the voice of extremes tries to be heard above reason, Josep Borrell's career reminds us that there is another way of doing politics.” “He has been able to say what Europe sometimes didn't want to hear; he has defended integration with audacity, peace with firmness, and values with coherence,” she added. For his part, Mariano Rajoy, former Prime Minister of Spain, stated that the EU is not just a common market, but is “a space where peace and democracy reign, where people and their well-being are cared for; there are not many places like that in the world.” “If anyone has played a prominent role and defended European values and worked for integration, it has been Josep Borrell,” he added. <h5><strong>The King's speech</strong></h5> For his part, Felipe VI (honorary president of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation) began his speech by highlighting "the historic event that occurred yesterday that has attracted worldwide attention: the election in the Vatican of the new Bishop of Rome, Leo XIV," a fact "very significant, among other considerations, not only because he is the first pope born in the United States, but also because of his strong ties with Latin America." "The new pontiff has expressed his desire for a Church that builds bridges, fosters dialogue, and is always a bearer of peace," a message that, "in a world marked by polarization," represents "an urgent call to overcome confrontation and open paths toward mutual understanding," he continued. "Europe has given us so much, after a long historical process full of struggles, tragic errors, and also great, hopeful advances," the Monarch stated. “We have achieved: a lasting peace like never before, despite the persistence of conflicts on our borders; democratic stability, which we should not take for granted; economic prosperity, although many needs remain to be addressed; freedom of movement unimaginable just a few decades ago; and an extremely high level of protection of fundamental rights, along with a new dimension of citizenship. Europe has been the driving force behind countless shared achievements and progress,” he continued. “Now is the time to reciprocate and return everything it has offered us, with the same commitment and determination,” he asserted. “Europe must be reinvented,” in the face of “those who want to impose force over law; those who seek to sow division; and those who challenge multilateralism,” Felipe VI warned. “Keeping its light alive depends on our ability to renew it and our will to defend it. It depends on not taking it for granted, but on strengthening it every day. Let us continue to believe in Europe, but, above all, let us continue to reinvent Europe,” he concluded. The Carlos V European Prize, now in its thirtieth year, is awarded annually at the Royal Monastery of Yuste, as part of the celebrations of May 9, Europe Day, to recognize the work of those individuals, organizations, projects, or initiatives that have contributed to the general understanding and enhancement of the cultural, social, scientific, and historical values of Europe, as well as to the process of European construction and integration. The recipients of this award to date are Jacques Delors (1995), Wilfried Martens (1998), Felipe González (2000), Mikhail Gorbachev (2002), Jorge Sampaio (2004), Helmut Kohl (2006), Simone Veil (2008), Javier Solana (2011), José Manuel Durão Barroso (2014), Sofia Corradi (2016), Marcelino Oreja Aguirre (2017), Antonio Tajani (2018), the Council of Europe's Cultural Routes project (2019), Angela Merkel (2021), the European Disability Forum (2022), António Guterres (2023), and Mario Draghi (2024). Josep Borrell is therefore the fourth Spaniard to receive the award. The event was attended by former Prime Minister Felipe González; former EU High Representative, former NATO Secretary General, and former Spanish Minister Javier Solana; Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Service Óscar López; and Executive Vice President of the European Commission for a Clean, Fair, and Competitive Transition and former Third Vice President of the Spanish Government, Teresa Ribera, among other figures.
