Alex Salmond receives the Coppieters Award

News / 15.12.16

Yesterday, 14 December 2016, Centre Maurits Coppieters foundation recognised Alex Salmond MP, Scottish National Party (SNP) International Affairs Spokesperson, at an award ceremony in Brussels for his service to Scotland and Europe.

As part of his agenda, Mr Salmond, alongside his colleagues Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh MP, Lisa Cameron MP and Stuart Donaldson MP, attended a private meeting with President of the European Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, debriefed leading European think tanks (Centre for European Policy Studies, European Policy Centre, Friends of Europe, European Movement International, among others) and addressed the press, before receiving the award.

 

The Coppieters award ceremony featured speakers from across Europe, including Geert Bourgeois, Minister-President of Flanders, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, Westminster MP, Marta Rovira, Member of Catalan Parliament and Secretary General of Esquerra party, and Daniel Turp, Professor at the University of Montreal.

Upon receipt of his award, Alex Salmond MP noted, “We need a Europe where dissent is channeled into fresh hope. We need a social Europe. We need to fuel once again the idealist vision, which propelled Maurits Coopieters himself. Where the self-determination of people’s diversity, peace and democracy could find a home in a united Europe.”

The Coppieters foundation announced the award last year to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the passing of the foundation’s namesake, Mr Maurits Coppieters, a prominent Flemish politician and member of the European Parliament, to honour individuals and organisations that stand out in defence of diversity, rights of minorities, self-determination, peace, and democracy in united Europe. According to Centre Maurits Coppieters President Xabier Macias, “Mr Salmond perfectly represents what we would like to symbolize with this initiative: the consistent, democratic and intelligent defence of cultural, social and political rights of nations and peoples.”

For photos and full speeches, please contact info@ideasforeurope.eu.