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In a speech given in Chancellor Merkel’s honour, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaité called Merkel one of the most committed supporters of a united Europe. Not only Germany‘s future, but also Europe’s future, rests on the Chancellor’s shoulders, she stressed.

Merkel’s personal journey is symbolic of the unification process

The Lord Mayor of , Lutz Trümper, justified the award decision by saying that “through her actions as Chancellor, Angela Merkel has made an outstanding contribution to European integration and the stability of the European Union."

Merkel’s personal journey is symbolic of the process of German and European unification, said Trümper. The award ceremony took place in Magdeburg Cathedral.

Award serves as a special incentive

Merkel described receiving the Emperor Otto Prize as an honour and a privilege. She accepted the award as an incentive for continuing her work towards European unity “especially in this challenging time for European politics.

“It is important to write the next chapter in the success story of European unity”, stressed Merkel.

“The euro is more than just a currency”

“The euro is much more than just a currency”, emphasised the Chancellor. “It is the foundation of our common economic success and a symbol of our continent’s political unity.” The euro stands for ’s will to strengthen its internal cohesion and to face challenges together, she added. It is, therefore, inextricably linked with the European project as a whole, Merkel continued. "This means that if the euro fails, the entire European project will be at stake”, concluded Merkel.

For this reason, said Merkel, the Federal Government will do everything in its power to stabilise and strengthen the economic and monetary union in the long term. cannot continue along the lines of “business as usual” in light of the current debt crisis, said the Chancellor. “And it won’t“. We are working towards correcting the mistakes made during the euro’s early years.”

Turning into a stability union

Merkel considers a reduction in sovereign debt and an increase in competitive strength in to be crucial. She wants “ to become a stability union" and thinks it would be a mistake to take another step in the direction of creating a debt union. “I also reject eurobonds for this reason”, said Merkel.

Together with French President Sarkozy, she supports a strengthening of the Stability and Growth Pact and a debt limit.

Merkel stated that her main concern as German Chancellor was to see an even stronger emerge from the current crisis.

Since 2005, the Emperor Otto Prize has been awarded every two years by the Magedeburg cultural foundation of the same name. It is awarded to individuals who have made a special contribution to understanding within Europe. The award is named after Emperor Otto the Great (912-973), who had a significant influence on ’s history. The first recipient of the award was former Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker, followed in 2007 by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, and in 2009 by former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Wladyslaw Bartoszewski.