On May 9, Anders Knape was awarded the Kaiser-Maximilian-Preis in recognition for outstanding achievements in European local and regional politics. Accepting his award at a ceremony in Innsbruck, he said "I’m proud and honoured to receive the Emperor Maximilian Prize 2016. It’s not only recognition of my work, but also a confirmation that Sweden is an active part of the European cooperation." Turning to the many challenges that Europe is faced with today, Knape proposed: "The key to solving challenges is to strengthen the local democracy by implementing the principle of subsidiarity and the Charter of Local Self-Government".
During the ceremony, Herwig Van Staa, president of the Tyrol regional assembly, explained the jury's choice: "I have known and appreciate the winner, Anders Knape, for a long time thanks to our joint political work both in the European Committee of the Regions and the Congress of the Council of Europe. During his time in local politics, he has always supported the rights of the communities and worked tirelessly to strengthen the subsidiarity principle."
The prize is an initiative of the Land of Tyrol and the city of Innsbruck, Austria, and has been awarded annually since 1997.
