On the 14th of 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.
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 channelled 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.”