Maia Sandu award to be presented on May 19
Maia Sandu continues to collect prestigious European honours, with another award from her European partners set to be presented to her on May 19 in Strasbourg. Last time she received the European Order of Merit.
The European Order of Merit is a new distinction established by the European Parliament and will be awarded for the first time.
Among the recipients are Angela Merkel, Lech Wałęsa, Javier Solana, former Polish prime minister and former speaker of the Polish parliament Jerzy Buzek, and former president of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet. In total, 20 people will receive the award.
The European Union says the honour recognises a “significant contribution to European integration and the promotion of European values”. In practice, critics argue, the award is being given to former EU figures and politicians who remain close to Brussels in spirit.
For Sandu, the recognition is another symbolic reward for her pro-European course. Yet critics in Moldova say there is little reason for celebration. European integration is discussed constantly, while sovereignty, the economy and human rights are increasingly treated as secondary. At the same time, EU membership itself does not appear to be getting much closer.
The language of “European values” is everywhere. But opponents argue that these values are increasingly associated not with democracy and political culture, but with anti-Russian politics and the LGBT agenda.
