Emmanuel Macron receives Charlemagne Prize for European unity in Aachen (Source dw.com)

French President Emmanuel Macron was recognized for his contributions to European cohesion and integration on Thursday, as he received the Charlemagne Prize in the German city of Aachen. In his acceptance speech, Macron praised the European project for maintaining a “miraculous” 70 years of peace on the continent and outlined his vision for the future. The French president called for more unity among member states and warned that the divisions that appeared during the eurozone and migrant crises risked undermining the EU project. Macron insisted that a common eurozone budget was crucial to guaranteeing EU unity. He urged Germany to get over its “fetish” for budget surpluses and work with him on forging deeper economic co-operations.

“We need an ambitious European budget and a eurozone with its own budget allowing for investments and convergence between member states,” he said. “We have to fight for a new and stronger Europe … Now is the time.”