Mario Draghi Receives the Charles V European Award

A former president of the European Central Bank received the Charles V European Award on June 14 in a solemn ceremony presided over by King Felipe vi of Spain.

The Charles V European Award is named after Holy Roman Emperor Charles v and is awarded to those who have advanced the medieval idea of a united Catholic Europe. This year it was given to Mario Draghi “for his leadership at the helm of the European Central Bank, which allowed the European Union to face one of the greatest crises it has experienced since its inception.”

Fortress Europe: During his eight-year tenure over the European Central Bank, Draghi kept the eurozone from falling apart with a series of controversial bailouts designed to keep Greece and other European nations from going bankrupt. Yet these bailouts did not solve the eurozone’s long-term structural problems.

In a far-ranging speech at the historic monastery of Yuste, Draghi called on Europe to develop “a genuine foreign economic policy” after accepting the award. Specifically, he called on Europe to introduce higher import duties to counter unfair competition and to build larger, pan-European companies to rival American and Chinese companies.

We do not want to become protectionist in Europe. But we cannot be passive if the actions of others are threatening our prosperity.
—Mario Draghi

Global empire: As populist and nationalist movements threaten European unity, the European Academy of Yuste Foundation wants to remind people that Charles v ruled a global empire that incorporated much of Europe and most of Latin America. Its choice to honor Draghi is likely a strategic move to stir up support for a pan-European economy that can compete with China and the United States.

A prophecy in Ezekiel 27 describes an end-time trading power that exchanges merchandise with many nations. Another prophecy in Revelation 18 describes a time when the “merchants of the earth” will weep because this power has collapsed. The European Union represents the beginning stages of this power.

Learn more: Read our free book The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy.