Anne Applebaum became the fifth recipient of the “Prof. Ivan Shishmanov” Award for European Contribution, established by PanEuropa Bulgaria. The award was presented to her on October 20 by Gergana Passy, President of PanEuropa Bulgaria, in recognition of her international efforts to defend democratic values, European unity, and freedom.

The award ceremony took place in the Aula of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, following the public discussion “Europe in the Era of Global Populism”, organised by the Faculty of History at Sofia University and PanEuropa Bulgaria, with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The event brought together nearly 300 guests, who had the opportunity to follow a discussion between Anne Applebaum and President Rosen Plevneliev on the rise of populism and authoritarian tendencies, the resilience of democratic institutions, the future of the United States and its role in the international order, as well as the strategic importance of European support for Ukraine.

The presentation of the award served as a symbolic conclusion to an evening dedicated to the future of Europe and the shared responsibility to uphold democratic principles.