Nicole Fontaine, former President of the European Parliament (from 1999 to 2002), Member of the European Parliament (from 1994 to 2002), Minister of Industry (from 2002 to 2004), and Member of the Steering Committee of the Federalist Movement since 1990, led a conference on the theme “THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. A NEW BREATH FOR EUROPE”.
The Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2012 was awarded to the European Union for having “turned Europe from a continent of war into a continent of peace.” When announcing its decision on Friday, October 12, 2012, the Nobel Committee stated that “the Union and its forerunners have contributed for over sixty years to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy, and human rights in Europe”.
Following the announcement of the Prize, the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, reacted by emphasizing that “this Nobel Peace Prize is for all the citizens of the European Union. The European Union has reunified the continent peacefully and reconciled sworn enemies. Despite the economic challenges, the European Union remains a magnet for stability, prosperity, and democracy”.
During her presentation, Nicole FONTAINE shared her insights and solutions on the current situation and paid tribute to the Nobel Committee for having, through its award, given new inspiration to Europe’s ongoing struggle to maintain peace despite economic difficulties due to globalization
