Maia Sandu received the Franz Josef Strauss Award during her visit to Germany
President Maia Sandu is on a working visit to Germany from June 20 to 22, where she received the Franz Josef Strauss Award, presented by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The award ceremony was held in Munich and was attended by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder and Markus Ferber, the President of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
"I am honored to receive the Franz Josef Strauss Award, presented by the Hanns Seidel Foundation, during my visit to Bavaria," said the head of state.
“I accept this distinction with deep gratitude, on behalf of all those in my country and our region who are on the front lines of a fight we did not start, but have chosen to wage with determination—a fight we cannot afford to lose: the fight for democracy, truth, and peace. Democracy is under attack worldwide today—not only on the battlefields, but also within our institutions and increasingly in our minds. Today’s adversaries use both old tactics and new tools to erode trust, polarize societies, and destabilize democracies. We see this very clearly in the war that Russia has waged against our neighbor, Ukraine. Let us not deceive ourselves: this war did not begin with tanks, but with narratives,” reads the message from President Maia Sandu upon receiving the award.
During a visit with master Eugen Doga's wife, President Maia Sandu announced that she will donate the accompanying prize sum of 10,000 euros to preserve and promote the musical heritage of composer Eugen Doga, one of the most valuable personalities in the Republic of Moldova.
The Franz Josef Strauss Award, established in memory of the former Bavarian leader known for his support of a strong European project, is awarded to international personalities who contribute to promoting democratic values and consolidating peace and freedom in Europe.
