Belarusian opposition politicians receive Charlemagne Prize

suk./(dpa)

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock honored the three recipients of this year’s International Charlemagne Prize from Belarus as the “bravest women in Europe”. In her laudation on Thursday in Aachen, the Greens politician praised the commitment of opposition politicians Svetlana Tichanovskaya, Weronika Zepkalo and Maria Kolesnikova to freedom and democracy. Tichanovskaya and Zepkalo, both living in exile, accepted the award in person. Kolesnikova, who is imprisoned in Belarus, received the award from her sister Tatyana Chomich.

Baerbock said the price was also a reminder. In view of the war in Ukraine, too, it is important to realign German and European policy towards the neighboring countries to the east. The needs of the people there have been ignored for too long. The belief that cooperation with dictators like Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus is possible to a certain extent “perhaps made us act too hesitantly towards the Belarusian regime,” said Baerbock. Hopes that trade alone would bring about change have proved to be an illusion. “That was wrong.”

The Charlemagne Prize winner Tichanovskaya pointed out the importance of European unity with a view to peace in Ukraine and democracy in her homeland of Belarus. The Charlemagne Prize does not belong to her or the trio of women honored with it, but to all Belarusians who have shown enormous effort and dedication in their peaceful, non-violent struggle against tyranny. “It also belongs to every child waiting for their mother or father to be released from prison,” said Tichanovskaya.

In 2020, there were mass protests in Belarus against the ruler Lukashenko and his controversial re-election, which the president, with the backing of Russia, had crushed. The Charlemagne Prize is one of the most important European awards and has been awarded for services to Europe since 1950.