The chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Directorate, Juergen Linden, and Aachen Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen plan to announce the decision at 11 am (1000 GMT).

The prize has been awarded since 1950 for special services to European unification.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis was honoured for his pro-European stance in October 2021. The award ceremony had been postponed several times because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new laureate is to receive the honour on May 26, 2022, in the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall.

Among the laureates are many European statesmen and politicians such as the first German chancellor Konrad Adenauer, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the former German chancellor Angela Merkel. Pope John Paul II also received the award.

It commemorates Charlemagne (747/8-814), whose empire stretched over much of Western Europe. He often resided in Aachen.

The Charlemagne Prize is traditionally presented on Ascension Day.