A jury of politicians and business leaders, headed by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is honoring NATO with the 2026 Westphalian Peace Prize. According to the jury’s statement, the “defense alliance” stands for a “rules-based security architecture that curbs conflicts” and “prevents escalations.”
The award is presented every two years by the Wirtschaftsvereinigung Westfalen-Lippe (WWL), a regional association in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the city of Münster, where the Peace Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648. In addition to the Federal President, the jury and the associated committee also include transatlanticist and former minister Sigmar Gabriel, Green Party politician Cem Özdemir, and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The WWL press release states the reasons for making NATO the award winner:
“For more than seven decades, NATO has stood as an alliance for a rules-based security architecture that contains conflicts, prevents escalation, and strengthens cooperation. The expansion to include Finland and Sweden strengthened Europe’s stability and followed the principle of voluntary partnership between sovereign states.”
