site.btaMEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk Receives Giovanni Malagodi International Prize

At a ceremony in the Italian Senate on Tuesday, Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk became the first Bulgarian citizen awarded with the Giovanni Malagodi International Prize, established by the Luigi Einaudi Foundation, the MEP's office said.

Malagodi, former secretary of the Italian Liberal Party and President of the Italian Senate, was one of the major pioneers of liberalism in Italy and Europe and one of the co-founders of the European Liberals and Democrats (ELD), the predecessor of ALDE Party. 2024 will mark his 120th birth anniversary.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded ALDE Co-President Kyuchyuk the first edition of the prize "for having spent his life spreading high principles of freedom and responsibility as a result of the teachings of Giovanni Malagodi.

“We are here to celebrate the work of a great liberal, Giovanni Malagodi, a visionary that believed in the value of the defence of freedom and individual rights,” said Kyuchyuk. 

“Today, we need a change in mentality. Liberals and democrats need to stay united and focus on what brings us together. Unity is a luxury that we cannot do without – it is the only way that Europe can go forward: we cannot be victims of partisan politics.  

“As liberals, we need to reform Europe to have more modern ideals, a more united, legitimate and responsible EU. We cannot be afraid in a moment of crisis, because it’s the only moment where we can really change our mentality and win our battles,” he concluded.

The Luigi Einaudi Foundation, named after the Italian president of the same name and founded by Malagodi, is a cultural research centre for politics and economics.

The award ceremony was attended by MEPs from the Renew Europe group, including deputy chairman Malik Azmani, Sandro Gozzi, Adrian Vazquez Lazara, Martina Dlabajova, Nicola Danti, Bulgarian Ambassador to Italy Todor Stoyanov, senators, Italian MPs and politicians, including former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Sir Graham Watson, representatives of the academic community and civil society.