Freedom award

Freedom award for slovakian president Zuzana Čaputová

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom awards the Freedom Prize to Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová for her commitment to liberal democracy. As president, Zuzana Čaputová stands in the tradition of Central and Eastern European civil rights activists who successfully promote liberal democracy both in opposition and in government. The prize will be awarded on November 5th, 2022, in Frankfurt's Paulskirche.

Zuzana Čaputová is a laureate who has shown courage and passion in dark times. She is not only representative of a liberalism that defeats right-wing populism. Čaputová is a figure of hope for all democrats. She has taken a clear stand against Russia from the very beginning. She will not be swayed, even though Slovakia is a frontline state. „Her election victory in 2019 was a signal of encouragement for liberal democrats all over the world," said Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Paqué, Chairman of the Board of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, explaining the jury's decision.

About the laureate

Zuzana Čaputová was born on June 21, 1973 in Bratislava. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Comenius University in Bratislava. In December 2017 she announced that she would join the liberal party Progressive Slovakia. In January 2018 she was elected deputy chairwoman. Čaputová has been President of the Slovak Republic since June 2019.

About the Freedom Award

Since 2006, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has awarded the non-endowed Freedom Prize biennially to outstanding personalities who provide crucial impetus for the development of liberal civil society and thus contribute to the consolidation of liberal values in the world. Previous award winners include Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Mario Vargas Llosa, Dr. Necla Kelek, Dr. Wolfgang Kersting, Helen Zille, Kaspar Villiger, Joachim Gauck and Friede Springer.