Teresa Freixes, Jean Monnet Professor ad personam, President of the international organisation Citizens pro Europe, Vice-President of the civic platform Societat Civil Catalana and Numerary Member and Vice-President of the Governing Board of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), served as a jury member for the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, granted to the British historian and journalist Timothy Garton Ash for his contribution to the political, historical and cultural analysis of contemporary Europe, whose common project he strongly defends. The renowned jurist also leads the new Societat Civil Catalana project “Dialogues with Teresa Freixes”, whose first series is being held under the title “Rule of law, democracy and institutional regeneration” and brings together prominent figures from Spanish civil society.
Born in London in 1955, Garton Ash has developed a unique career in the European intellectual landscape, at the intersection of historical research, international journalism and political essay writing. Professor of European Studies at the University of Oxford, he also maintains an academic link with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is the author of landmark works such as “The Polish Revolution: Solidarity”, in which he analyses the emergence of the Polish trade union Solidarity; “The Magic Lantern”, on the fall of the Berlin Wall and Eastern Europe’s transition to democracy; “In Europe’s Name”, focused on German reunification and the tensions arising from the new European political architecture after the end of the Cold War; “The File”, a reconstruction of repression in the German Democratic Republic based on documents from the regime’s feared secret police, the Stasi; “Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World”, in which he presents the new challenge posed by digitalisation and social media to Western democracy; and “Homelands: A Personal History of Europe”, a first-person testimony to Europe’s contemporary history.
Dra. Teresa Freixes
Thirty-six candidates from 12 nationalities were nominated for the award. The Princess of Asturias Awards are intended, according to their regulations, to recognise scientific, technical, cultural, social and humanitarian work carried out by individuals, institutions, groups of people at an international level. In accordance with these principles, the Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences is granted for creative or research work in anthropology, political science, demography, law, economics, ethics, philosophy, geography, history, linguistics, pedagogy, psychology and sociology, as well as in the disciplines corresponding to each of these fields. Each Princess of Asturias Award consists of a sculpture by Joan Miró, the prize’s representative symbol, and 150,000 euros.
As regards the series “Dialogues with Teresa Freixes”, the first two sessions featured Nicolás Redondo Terreros, lawyer and President of the Foundation for Freedom, and José Manuel Pérez Tornero, Professor of Journalism and former President of RTVE, who held the first dialogue with the Vice-President of the READ on 17 April; as well as Rafael Arias Salgado, diplomat and President of the Spanish Transition Foundation, and Cristina Dexeus Ferrer, prosecutor and President of the Association of Prosecutors, whose turn came on 21 May. This first round of sessions will conclude on 18 June with Cándido Méndez Rodríguez, former Secretary General of UGT and of the Spanish Confederation of Trade Unions, and María Ángeles Pérez Samper, Professor of History and member of the Royal Academy of History. The dialogues are held at Librería Byron in Barcelona, streamed online and available to watch on Societat Civil Catalana’s YouTube channel. In-person attendance is also possible by completing a form on this civic platform’s website.
