French President Emmanuel Macron | Pool photo by François Mori Emmanuel Macron wins prestigious Charlemagne Prize French president described as “courageous pioneer for the revitalization of the European dream.”

French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Germany’s Charlemagne Prize in recognition of his “re-establishment of the European project,” the prize's board of directors announced Friday.

The Charlemagne Prize has been awarded annually since 1950 by the German city of Aachen to recognize an individual contributing to unity in Europe. In announcing Macron's 2018 award, the board described the French president as "a courageous pioneer for the revitalisation of the European dream," who would "put Europe firmly back in the hearts of the people."

“His passion for and commitment to Europe, his advocacy of cohesion and commonality, and his decisive stance against all forms of nationalism and isolationism set the right example,” the board said.

It remarked that the date on which Macron was elected French president, May 7, 2017, will stand out as proof that "Europe is indeed capable of generating enthusiasm."

The prize is named after the eight century Frankish king Charlemagne, often referred to as the “father of Europe.”

Previous winners include former European Parliament President Martin Schulz, former President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and current Council President Donald Tusk.