5 “Sul tempo della ratifica della CED” 1 March 1954 in Einaudi, Lo scrittorio del Presidente (1948–1955), Giulio  Einaudi Editore, Torino, 1956. 5/5  BIS central bankers' speeches
I believe that we can say something similar about the arc of progress. Europe moves forward in stops and starts. It often learns lessons the hard way. But its arc bends towards a stronger and more united Europe for all citizens. The common currency 3/4  BIS central bankers' speeches  reflects this continued progress, with support for the euro at its highest level on record at 80%, up from 66% a decade ago.8 This should give us hope as we look to the future. And it should give us confidence that, even when Europe may seem divided or lacking in direction, there is a thread guiding us forwards. Over my career, I have had the privilege to watch this process unfold up close, to share in its highs and lows. I have been lucky enough to see it from three different perspectives – national, European and global. And I am honoured to continue working to take Europe forwards. I am very pleased to see the contributions of the European Central Bank recognised through my acceptance of this prize. Thank you. 1 Common Equity Tier 1. European Banking Authority (2020), “Basel III monitoring exercise – results based on  data as of 31 December 2019”, December. 2 Lagarde, C. (2019), “The future of the euro area economy”, speech at the Frankfurt European Banking  Congress, 22 November.