Aachen.
Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Ukraine are honored with the Charlemagne Prize. But whether the award winner will come to Aachen has not yet been decided.
It is still unclear whether Volodymyr Zelenskyj will come to Aachen in person on May 14th. But it has been clear for months that the Ukrainian President and the Ukrainian people will attend the International Charlemagne Prize be obtained. If Selenskyj to the award Aachen travels, the highest level of danger prevails there. The airspace above the city is blocked, the flow of traffic is temporarily stopped on the streets, and the police keep watch on roofs.
This level of security also applied when then-US President Bill Clinton received the Charlemagne Prize more than 20 years ago: it was a high-security operation. A police spokesman says that Selenskyj is at high risk as a prizewinner. “We take the matter very seriously.” The Aachen police receive support from all over the country. And as a precaution, the largest possible deployment is assumed: “We plan as if it is coming.”
Is Zelensky coming? Berlin police take all security precautions
The Berlin police surprisingly announced on Wednesday that they had taken all security precautions for a visit by Selenskyj to the capital on the weekend of 13/14. meet may However, according to her own statements, she is now investigating for betrayal of secrets because “a member of the Berlin police” may have passed on confidential details to a newspaper. The Chancellery and the Ukrainian Embassy have not yet confirmed a visit by Zelenskyy.
Aachen is preparing two variants of the program for the Charlemagne Prize ceremony on Sunday, May 14: either Zelenskyj will be connected via video, or he will accept the prize in person. “We assume that there will be a definitive decision two to three days before the award ceremony,” says a spokeswoman for the city.
Charlemagne Prize award protocol changed
Since 1950, the Charlemagne Prize has been awarded to personalities who have rendered services to European unity. Those honored so far include ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Emmanuel Macron. For the winners of 2023, a president and his country, which is defending itself against the Russian war of aggression, the protocol has been turned inside out. Not as usual on Ascension Day, but on the Sunday before, the award is presented in the historic town hall. The time has been moved to the afternoon. The reason is the overlapping appointments of the high-ranking guests.
Traditionally, the ceremony takes place in the imposing coronation hall from 1349. Speakers are Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. They are representatives of those who support Ukraine the most, both materially and morally, says Jürgen Linden, chairman of the Charlemagne Prize board of directors, which selects the winners.
Political message: Europe idea
There is also a political message attached to it. “We want to take the side of the Ukrainians, who belong to the European family of nations and who are leading an incredibly heroic, courageous fight for freedom against this aggression by the Russians,” Linden said on WDR television. In the border city of Aachen, the idea of Europe is upheld and lived.
But there are also individual critical voices about the selection of the award winner. The left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht considers Selenskyj to be unsuitable. “Anyone who receives the Charlemagne Prize should do everything possible to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations and a compromise peace,” said the member of the Bundestag to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Friday).
The Charlemagne Prize winners usually walk around the city center, meet people and shake hands. But this time, safety has a lot to do with it. There will have to be restrictions, Linden said weeks ago. Whether Selenskyj is coming in person or via video: The supporting program for the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen has been about Ukraine, its culture and the current situation for weeks – in cooking courses, readings, concerts and in many discussions and lectures. (dpa)
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