It is an honour to be recognised as a contributor to the European project, and to join the company of such illustrious previous recipients. Working for Europe is not only my profession, but also, on a personal level, a driving mission.
And in these difficult times – when, unfortunately, we are rarely sans souci – striving to build a strong, united and stable Europe is more important than ever. I would like to thank Minister Schäuble very warmly for his presence tonight and his very moving speech. Wolfgang is among the most important European leaders we have.