The European Union was announced the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2012. A heated debate emerged over the validity of the award amidst the backdrop of Europe’s as-yet-unsolved economic crisis.
The 27-nation organization was awarded the prize for its role in “uniting the continent,” and its contributions “to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.”
The unanimous decision was made by a five-person panel chaired by Thorbjoern Jagland, the Council of Europe’s Secretary-General and a strong advocate of the EU in Norway. “The EU helped transform Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace,” Jagland said.
The EU will receive a $1.2 million award on December 10 by the Nobel Committee.
The news came 60 years after the creation of the EU’s predecessor organization, the European Coal and Steel Community, which helped rebuild a continent decimated by two World Wars.
"The European Union is in the middle of one of its worst crises, but perhaps it is precisely now the peace and stabilization project deserves a hand from the 'no' country Norway?" Norwegian public broadcaster NRK said.
Norway, the Nobel Peace Prize’s host nation, refused membership in the EU in 1972 and again in 1994.
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