“Check against delivery”

Ladies and gentlemen,

Rector Professor Rüdiger,

Members of the Rectorate of RWTH,

Members of the Board of Directors of the Charlemagne Prize,

And, in particular, dear students,

I am excited to share some thoughts with you. Most importantly, I am eager to hear from you, the students. Your questions, ideas, and views on our time are crucial, as you will shape the future. Your future. The future of Europe.

Europe is a remarkable story, founded on values. In the late 1950s, shortly after two world wars, former enemies chose to reconcile. France, Italy, and the Benelux countries welcomed Germany back into the democratic fold. This marked the beginning of Europes unique journey, with influential figures like Adenauer, Schuman, and De Gasperi. Initially, there were six states. By the mid-1970s, there were twelve.

Today, the European Union comprises 27 states, 24 languages, and 450 million people in a peaceful union. Not only is it peaceful, but it is also voluntary. No country was forced to join the EU; all were eager to participate. This is why Putin started the war against Ukraine. Ukraine simply wanted to join the EU. Putin fears the power of freedom and democracy.

Europe is a true gift. However, there is no guarantee that it will always progress. The EU is not a given; it must be renewed daily. Europe is more than a vast economic area. It champions freedom and human rights, security, and peace. Built on the rule of law, I will discuss these topics and more tomorrow.

Today, I want to talk to you, the students, about science and the future. At RWTH Aachen University, your ideas can change the world. Big progress often starts small. Consider the worlds smallest heart pump, developed here in Aachen by former student Thorsten Sieß. An inventor and entrepreneur, he rightly receives this years Aachen Engineers Prize. His heart pump, a few millimeters wide, is a flexible tube with a mini motor and propellers. It saves around 50,000 patients annually. Would I have imagined this as a student or young doctor? Never. In the 1990s, such a device would have required a control unit and thick cannulas.

A world of wonders created by scientific technology – thats how August von Kaven, your universitys first director, described it when welcoming students in 1870.

He marveled at the railway, which made mainland Germany effectively smaller by 100 times. Photos of the seabed taken with mathematical precision, telegraphs connecting the UK to India in minutes – all were termed miracles. These groundbreaking developments, once dismissed as crazy, changed history.

In politics today, hoping for miracles is unwise. They dont fall from the sky. Instead, we have our intellect, curiosity, and ambition. People drive progress through hard work and determination, often facing doubt and setbacks.

However, progress requires academic freedom and openness, cooperation, and trust. These are the foundations of our free Europe, built after dark years. These values animate and sustain our democracy.

Yet, these values cannot be taken for granted. Who would have thought a year ago that vaccine funding could be slashed in one of the worlds most innovative democracies, simply because of terms like female, climate, or diversity? It seemed unbelievable, but its reality today.

This is not just a warning but an appeal and an opportunity for Europe. Our duty is to provide a home for free science. Science must be vibrant, alive, and controversial. Europe has much to offer – two million researchers, 500 Nobel Prize winners. We lead in clean technologies, health, economics, and social sciences, excelling in aerospace, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Horizon Europe is the largest international research program, with over EUR 93 billion. We have good infrastructure, rule of law, and cross-border exchange.

At Aachen alone, a third of the students are international. We should be proud but strive to do better. You know this best. Excellent basic research, from AI to quantum computing, is conducted here. Start-ups thrive in Aachen, a hotspot for founders. But you also know the challenges to reach market readiness and business success, the difficulty in securing capital, and the importance of academic freedom.

We are launching the Choose Europe initiative to remove unnecessary regulatory obstacles, as the new European Innovation Act will demonstrate. We will ease access to venture capital for young businesses and start-ups. The seven-year Super Grant initiative will double the budget to ensure long-term scientific freedom, attracting the best talent. Europe must become a magnet for shaping the future of science. I want you to choose Europe, offering the best conditions for your scientific and economic success.

Securing Europes economic strength through science is crucial today and for the future. Nature teaches us much about science. Europes natural world is unparalleled – the Wadden Sea, the Baltics brackish water, the vast plains, and rich forests. These environments work for us, absorbing carbon dioxide, providing resources, and maintaining ecological balance. Losing them would not only displace millions but also rob them of livelihoods.

Thus, we must protect the climate and preserve nature through science. Future generations would rightly never forgive us if we shirked this responsibility. For me, protecting nature is a climate issue and a matter of intergenerational fairness.

Returning to your founding director, his words, spoken 155 years ago, still resonate: ‘Gullibility is one of the main causes of mistakes. Take this as encouragement. Question to think ahead. Seek truth, be persistent, be critical. Use freedom. Europe needs you. I look forward to our discussion.

Thank you very much. Long live Europe.