Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis receives German Civic Award and Franz Werfel Award

Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis received the German Civic Award, conferred by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, and the Franz Werfel Award for Human Rights, conferred by the Center against Expulsions, for his political career.

The German Civic Award was granted to Iohannis during a ceremony that took place on Saturday, June 3, at the Benrath Castle in Düsseldorf, Germany. The next day, the Romanian leader received the Franz Werfel Award for Human Rights at St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt on the Main.

The Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation decided to grant the German Civic Award to president Klaus Iohannis based on the assessment of his entire political career, emphasizing his support for the harmonious coexistence of different ethnicities, commitment to freedom, democracy, and pluralism, the restoration and modernization of his hometown Sibiu, support for the fight against corruption, and attachment to the idea of a united Europe, according to Digi24.

The Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation was established in 1988 as an independent, non-partisan association comprised of personalities committed to preserving and promoting democracy and tolerance in Germany and Europe. The foundation's declared objective is to make democracy tangible, primarily by stimulating dialogue with citizens and their representatives in Germany.

In addition to debates and actions concerning current political and social issues, the association has been awarding the German Civic Award to public figures who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of democracy and the common good since 1995. Among the laureates of the award are the former president of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert, former president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, renowned dissident and former president of the Czech Republic Václav Havel, the first president of the European Commission Jacques Delors, and former federal presidents Richard von Weizsäcker and Roman Herzog.

President Klaus Iohannis stated in his speech at the ceremony where he received the German Civic Award that this distinction "represents, first and foremost, recognition of how democracy and civic engagement are manifested today in Romania." He emphasized, as cited by News.ro, his commitment and the commitment of Romanian citizens to the development of a democratic, united, and solidary Europe.