Maia Sandu will travel to Strasbourg for European honor ceremony
President Maia Sandu is expected next week, on May 19, in Strasbourg, to receive the European Order of Merit, a new civilian distinction established by the European Parliament, which recognizes significant contributions to European integration and the promotion of European values.
The award ceremony will be held in the European Parliament, with 13 out of the 20 laureates in attendance, according to the institution.
Each laureate will have the opportunity to speak after receiving their award.
As stated in a announcement from the European Parliament, several notable personalities are expected to attend the event, including:
- Angela Merkel, former Federal Chancellor of Germany
- Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland
- Jerzy Buzek, former Prime Minister of Poland and former President of the European Parliament
- Aníbal Cavaco Silva, former President and Prime Minister of Portugal
- Pietro Parolin, Cardinal and Secretary of State of the Holy See
- Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova
- Wolfgang Schüssel, former Federal Chancellor of Austria
- Javier Solana, former EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy
- Jean-Claude Trichet, former President of the European Central Bank
- Marc Gjidara, lawyer and scholar
- Sandra Lejniece, physician, scientist, and academic leader
- Oleksandra Matviychuk, human rights lawyer
- Viviane Reding, former Vice-President of the European Commission, former member of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, and former member of the European Parliament
We note that the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, announced the list of the inaugural laureates of the European Order of Merit on March 10 in Strasbourg, which includes Head of State Maia Sandu.
The laureates were selected by a committee consisting of President Metsola, European Parliament Vice-Presidents Sophie Wilmès and Ewa Kopacz, former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, former Presidents of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and Josep Borrell, and former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta. Nominations were proposed by heads of state or government, presidents of national parliaments, and presidents of EU institutions.
The European Order of Merit was established in 2024 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, following a decision by the European Parliament's Bureau. This distinction is the first of its kind awarded by an EU institution, with a maximum of 20 laureates recognized each year.
