On 17 October 2014, the Foundation awarded its Gold Medal to Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, and José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.
The Foundation thus wished to jointly distinguish three personalities who, at the head of their respective institutions and in the spirit of the Community method devised by Jean Monnet, have been able, in a spirit of solidarity, to face the major challenges facing Europe, while preserving the original Community framework that presides over the construction of Europe.
• Press release of June 5, 2013 (in French only)
• Biographical notes of the three winners (in French only)
The presentation of the Foundation’s Gold Medal was the subject of numerous media reports, which you can consult by clicking here.
The three winners arrived on the University of Lausanne campus at around 5:45 pm, in front of the Amphimax building. The welcoming committee included, around President José Maria Gil-Robles, members and management of the Foundation, numerous students and teachers from the University of Lausanne, as well as several personalities including the Rector Dominique Arlettaz, the syndic of the City of Lausanne Daniel Brélaz, and the President of the Canton of Vaud’s State Council, Pierres-Yves Maillard. A privileged moment of meeting over a glass followed before the Gold Medal ceremony began with the European anthem played by the string trio, whose musical interludes adorned the entire ceremony.
After the messages addressed by the Rector of the University and the representatives of the public authorities, the President of the Foundation delivered his laudatio which develops the motivation for the choice of the three winners to jointly receive the Foundation’s Gold Medal.
They then addressed the public, each for 15 to 20 minutes, in speeches that focused in particular on the European Union’s action to overcome the existential crisis that threatened it. Speeches not devoid of emotions and more personal words that refer to their years of collaboration, at a time when two of the three winners are reaching the end of their mandate.
The ceremony was filmed and broadcast live on the Europe by Satellite (EbS) channel.
Opening of the ceremony
Message from Dominique Arlettaz, Rector of the University of Lausanne
“The quality of the relationship between the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe and the University of Lausanne is a daily testimony to the interest that the University’s faculties, teachers, researchers and students have in Europe. »
• Full text of Mr. Arlettaz’s speech (in French only)
Message from Daniel Brélaz, syndic of the City of Lausanne
Message from Pierre-Yves Maillard, President of the State Council of the Canton of Vaud
Message from Henri Gétaz, Ambassador, Director of the Directorate for European Affairs of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Musical interlude: Franz Schubert, String Trio in B flat major, D471 – Allegro
Laudatio of the recipients, by José Maria Gil-Robles, President of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe
“Today, not only does the European Union seem to have weathered most of the storm, but further progress has been made in the joint exercise of national sovereignty and in strengthening solidarity between Member States”.
“The three presidents distinguished by the Foundation have maintained a constant and positive dialogue between the institutions at the head of which they are heads, but also between themselves personally”.
• Full text of the laudatio (in French only)
Presentation of the Gold Medal to the recipients
Musical interlude: Ludwig van Beethoven, String Trio in E flat, Op. 3, No. 1 – Menuetto moderato
Answer from Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council
“These decisions, we took them with our feet on the edge of the abyss, our backs against the wall, our knives at the throat… It was the urgency that was the midwife of these tough decisions. That is what worries me about the future. Today the urgency no longer rages, but our fundamental problems are not solved. »
• Full text of Mr. Van Rompuy’s speech (in French only)
Answer from Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament
Answer from José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
“It is this vision of Europe that we have defended throughout these years, a united and strong Europe, a Europe of collective solidarity and individual responsibility, a Europe of stability and growth. »
• Full text of Mr. Barroso’s speech (in French only)
Musical interlude: Ludwig van Beethoven, Serenade in D major, op.8 – Allegretto alla Polacca
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Conclusions, by José Maria Gil-Robles, President of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe
The string trio musicians were Johannes Rose, Mary Elliot and Olivier Blache.