VDZ to award the “Ehren-Victoria” honour to Bundestag President, Wolfgang Schäuble
Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble (Foto: Deutscher Bundestag/Achim Melde), Christine Lagarde (Foto: IMF/Stephen Jaffe)
Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble (Foto: Deutscher Bundestag/Achim Melde)
Christine Lagarde (Foto: IMF/Stephen Jaffe)
With the “Ehren-Victoria”, the magazine publishers will pay tribute to Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, the President of the German Bundestag, for his strong commitment to a united, democratic Europe and stable democracy in Germany. As the longest-serving member of the Bundestag, as minister for various departments and as President of the Bundestag, he stood and stands for the political stability of Germany and Europe and has always seen this as the essential basis for growth, prosperity and pluralism. Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble not only played a key role in German reunification, but also in the consolidation of a liberal Europe.
“With the “Ehren-Victoria”, the VDZ publishers will honour his outstanding political achievements in challenging times. Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble is an exceptional politician and source of ideas for Germany and Europe, who pursues his politics with passion. He serves a reminder when it comes to threats to the freedom of the press and he is an excellent observer of globalisation and its challenges for Europe’s democratic and liberal values,” is how VDZ President Dr. Rudolf Thiemann explains the award being conferred on Schäuble.
The President-designate of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, will hand the “Ehren-Victoria” over to Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble and give the laudatory speech at the Publishers’ Night in Berlin. Prior to her nomination by the EU leaders in July, she had managed the International Monetary Fund since 2011 as the first woman in the role of Managing Director. “We are extremely pleased to have been able to recruit Christine Lagarde for the laudatory speech. As a political mediator, she stands for communication, independence and proven crisis management and as an international personality she has great creative power,” says Dr. Rudolf Thiemann.
The choice of winners and speaker sets the standard for a united, liberal Europe. Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble and Christine Lagarde both equally represent an open society of liberal values.
In addition to the “Ehren-Victoria”, at the 2019 Publishers' Night the VDZ will also award the “Golden Victoria 2019 for the Freedom of the Press” to outstanding personalities, who have worked with great commitment to the freedom of the press and free reporting. In the ongoing process of digital change, magazine publishers act as an indispensable pillar to a free and democratic society. The Publishers' Night sets an example for this.
Other winners of the “Ehren-Victoria” in past years have included Helmut Kohl (2007), Henry Kissinger (2011), Shimon Peres (2013), Daniel Barenboim (2015), Hubert Burda (2016), Wolf Biermann (2017) and Angela Merkel (2018).
