7 February, 2022 – The GPM wants to extend its congratulations to Henriette Reker, the Mayor of Cologne on receiving the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award. Henriette Reker, the first woman to serve as Mayor of Cologne, was recognised for the courage and determination that she has shown over the past 20 years in promoting diversity, solidarity and integration as an integral part of Cologne’s identity. In 2015, Mayor Reker survived a knife attack motivated by her commitment for helping migrant communities and their integration. This act of violence has not dissuaded her from continuing to uphold her values in her public life and in the policies and projects that has championed.
Mayor Henriette Reker said: “I am proud to be chosen for this special award. Everything it stands for: all those values are also true matters of the heart to me. Violence never was and never will be a solution. It will always be the first step in a wrong direction. That is why we have to stand up for peace, for open dialogue and unitedness.”
To read more about the award: https://cor.europa.eu/en/news/Pages/first-Mayor-Pawe%C5%82-Adamowicz-Award-.aspx