Elon Musk has been nominated for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. It was the sovereignist group of Viktor Orban and Matteo Salvini who proposed the name of the founder of Tesla and patron of X for the recognition that the Community Chamber awards every year to people who distinguish themselves in the fight for freedom of thought and democracy. “Patriots for Europe nominate Elon Musk for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Speech. His commitment to freedom of speech, transparency and the fight against censorship is in line with the values of freedom and human rights”, writes the sovereignist group in a post on social networks, to which it attaches a photo of the American entrepreneur.
📢 | The Patriots Group nominates Elon Musk (@elonmusk) for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Speech. His commitment to free speech, transparency, and fighting against censorship aligns with the values of freedom and human rights. #SakharovPrize #FreedomOfSpeech pic.twitter.com/rkSczQ43TP
— Patriots for Europe (@PatriotsEP) September 19, 2024
First awarded in 1988 to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the European Union’s highest honor to honor individuals and organizations that defend human rights and fundamental freedoms. The prize is named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, and comes with a €50,000 endowment. The various political groups choose the candidates and then they jointly choose the winner. This means that Musk really doesn’t have much of a chance of winning.
The other candidates
Both the Popular Party and the Conservatives and Reformists of Giorgia Meloni and Brothers of Italy have proposed the Venezuelan opposition and its leader, Edmundo González Urrutia. The liberals of Renew Europe have indicated Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun, two feminist, pacifist and non-partisan movements that are trying to bring together Israeli and Palestinian women to spread a call for peace and a strong message of hope. The radical left The Left would like the prize for Palestinian journalists,
The deadline for nominations is today (September 19). After the selection process, the award will take place on December 18 during the plenary session in Strasbourg. Previous winners of the prize include the Iranian movement “Women, Life and Freedom”, Vladimir Putin’s opponent Alexei Navalny and Afghan women’s rights activist Malala Yousafzai.
