I most warmly congratulate Robert Menasse on receiving the German Book Prize. I am particularly pleased that the jury has awarded this year’s prize to Robert Menasse, a passionate European who in his novel Die Hauptstadt (The Capital) depicts everyday life in Brussels shrewdly and with great attention to detail. Robert Menasse has succeeded in creating an exceptionally well-researched, multifaceted story about the political heart of Europe illustrating that, despite all of the inherent difficulties, the unique European peace project is worth fighting for.