European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been awarded the Lower Saxony Land Medal at a ceremony in Hanover.
In prepared remarks, von der Leyen said she felt “deeply moved” to receive the award and recalled that her father received the same medal more than 26 years ago, in a speech published by the European Commission on Tuesday.
She described Lower Saxony as the place she “always come[s] back to”, recounting studying in Göttingen and Hanover and working at Hanover Medical School, as well as early political roles on local and regional councils.
Von der Leyen said Lower Saxony was created in 1946 from different regions and that, soon after the Second World War, refugees made up 30% of the population in some areas.
Remarks on Europe’s crises and energy security
She stated Europe had faced major challenges in recent years, listing the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing dependence on Russian energy supplies, and support for Ukraine.
Recent “geopolitical shocks” had been felt in everyday life “at petrol stations”, “on the supermarket shelves” and “at our airports”, the European Commission President said.
“Europe's energy security is our common priority and responsibility,” von der Leyen said, adding that “No Member State can protect itself alone.”
She also referred to the European Union as a bloc of 27 countries with 450 million people and 24 languages, where people can move freely to study or work.
