On Wednesday evening, the 10th SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards welcomed over 450 people to the European Parliament to share in celebrating this year's four winners: Colombian Trade Unions CUT, CTC and CGT, the European Roma Rights Centre, Gyula Horn, former Prime Minister of Hungary (1994-1998) and Pierre Mauroy, former Prime Minister of France (1981-1984).

The evening also heard speeches from Laszlo Andor, Commissioner Designate for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the PES; Véronique de Keyser MEP; Ana Maria Gomes MEP; and Marita Ulvskog MEP.

But the winners, of course, took centre-stage putting forward why receiving the award was important for them.

In their acceptance speech, the Colombian Trade Unionists from CUT, CTC and CGT emphasised the need for the European Institutions to halt the negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement with the Colombian government as this will not improve the serious and systematic violations of human and trade union rights in the country, but will instead legitimise it (read more in this week's article on the EU-Colombia FTA).

The President of the European Roma Rights Centre in his acceptance speech highlighted that this award "serves as an important reminder that the ideals of the European Union require equal rights for all its citizens, including Roma". Also view the video report made by EUvideohu with interviewsof the winners.

Anna Horn, Mr Horn's daughter, and Agnes Koroncz, Chief of Cabinet told the crowd how much Gyula Horn appreciated receiving the award for his contribution to opening Hungarian foreign policy since the 1970s and his role in the fall of the Wall and opening the border to Austria in 1989.

Henri Nallet, who came to pick up the award on behalf of Pierre Mauroy, highlighted Mr Mauroy's ability to balance political life with being an activist for change and read out a note from Mr Mauroy in which he thanked SOLIDAR for the award.

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10th SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards