Many celebrities have taken the stage at our festive galas, but even for the first time a former EU Commission President is our guest to accept the European Culture Prize: Jean-Claude Juncker. This great office was only the highlight of his 40-year career. The 69-year-old Luxembourger, who headed the Commission from 2014 to 2019, had long before made outstanding contributions not only to his home country, but above all to the common home of Europe. 

Doing politics from the point of view of liking people has always been his credo, and as a great European he knows only too well what European integration means and, above all, how important it is to continually encourage people to support Europe inspire. In its justification for the award ceremony, the selection jury particularly emphasized Juncker's commitment to European unification, which has “now become irreversible”. He “worked with great passion on the construction of the House of Europe”. For Juncker, Europe was and is a matter close to his heart - as it was for his laudator, the Luxembourg journalist Viviane Reding. She was a member of the European Parliament until 2018 and was Vice President of the EU Commission and also Commissioner for Justice for four years.