The 20th edition of the annual MEP awards honored seven Members of the European Parliament for their exceptional contributions to policymaking within the EU. Notable winners included Italian MEP Brando Benifei and Romanian MEP Dragoș Tudorache, who jointly received the award for MEP of the mandate for their work on the Artificial Intelligence Act. Austrian MEP Othmar Karas was recognized with the lifetime achievement award for his expertise in financial regulation after 25 years in Brussels. Former European Commission President Jacques Delors was posthumously honored for his role in shaping the current EU bloc. Additionally, Romanian MEP Dragoș Pîslaru was awarded the Youth Champion prize for leading initiatives to support young Europeans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MEP awards also highlighted 20 lawmakers considered ‘rising stars’ in EU politics, including Hungary’s Katalin Cseh and French MEP Nathalie Loiseau. Nominated by the public and selected by a panel of judges, the winners were recognized for their significant contributions to various sectors, such as journalism and human rights organizations. The awards ceremony came just months before the EU elections, where voters will elect new representatives to the European Parliament. The awards are based on the achievements of lawmakers during the current five-year mandate, which began in 2019.
Swedish MEP Abir Al-Sahlani received the award for best speech for her powerful gesture of cutting her hair during a speech in solidarity with Iranian women. The ‘European Values Champions’ of the mandate were Irish MEP Frances Fitzgerald and Swedish MEP Evin Incir, who led negotiations for an EU Directive criminalizing violence against women, including forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Despite facing opposition from certain EU member states, the new laws aim to protect women across Europe from various forms of violence, including cyber violence and the sharing of AI-generated explicit images.
The late Jacques Delors, former President of the European Commission, was honored with a special award in recognition of his role in deepening European integration and shaping the EU’s single market. Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Foundation, accepted the award on Delors’ behalf, emphasizing his lasting legacy within the EU institutions. Other individuals recognized at the ceremony included Katarzyna Biniaszczyk, who received the award for parliamentary assistant of the mandate, and Raffaella De Marte, head of the parliament’s media services unit, who won the award for outstanding contribution to the work of the parliament.
The MEP awards serve as a platform to celebrate the achievements of European lawmakers and acknowledge their significant contributions to EU policymaking. Through honoring individuals who have made a lasting impact on various issues, such as AI regulation, youth empowerment, and gender equality, the awards highlight the importance of effective leadership within the European Parliament. As voters prepare to elect new representatives, the awards ceremony underscores the dedication and hard work of MEPs in shaping the future of Europe and advancing key values such as human rights, gender equality, and technological innovation.
