Global Economy Prize 2026 goes to Sabine Weyand and Martin Wolf
The recipients of the 2026 Global Economy Prize have been selected. This year’s award will go to Martin Wolf and Sabine Weyand. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the City of Kiel, and the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Industry and Commerce announced this year’s prize recipients today. The prize honors individuals who have engaged in an outstanding way with the challenges of economic and political integration as well as the future of open societies.
Against the backdrop of the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum, this year’s prize recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to addressing the challenges of economic and political integration, the dangers of populism, and the future of open societies:
- Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade and Economic Security at the European Commission (until May 2026), Special Adviser for European Strategic Partnerships, European Commission (since June 2026)
- Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times
The Global Economy Prize ceremony will take place during Kiel Week on Monday, 22 June 2026, at the Hotel Kieler Kaufmann. Both prize recipients are expected to attend in person.
Candidates for the prize are proposed from within the network of the Kiel Institute and are ultimately selected and nominated by the jury of the Global Economy Prize. The jury consists of the President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick, the Mayor of Kiel, Dr. Samet Yilmaz, and the Vice President of the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Industry and Commerce and President of the Kiel Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Knud Hansen.
This year, the jury honors individuals who, through analytical sharpness, intellectual integrity, and public leadership, help make key economic and societal developments understandable and contribute to interpreting complex global dynamics.
Commenting on this year’s prize recipient, Schularick said: “Sabine Weyand has played a decisive role in ensuring Europe’s capacity to act, even under difficult political conditions, through her contributions to key European negotiations and decision-making processes. Her work combines strategic clarity with exceptional diplomatic precision.”
Regarding this year’s prize recipient Wolf, Schularick said: “Martin Wolf has done more than almost anyone else to make the economic and political causes of profound global upheavals understandable. With analytical clarity, historical depth, and intellectual independence, he has shaped the international economic policy debate for many years.”
Yilmaz said: “The prize stands for openness, dialogue, and the importance of international cooperation in a time of growing uncertainty. It honors individuals who help interpret complex developments and thereby provide guidance in an increasingly multifaceted world.”
Hansen added: “This year’s prize recipients exemplify responsibility, foresight, and commitment to international understanding. These are values to which the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Industry and Commerce and its members also feel committed. The prize honors individuals who have a significant impact on public discourse surrounding economic and societal developments.”
Further information about the Global Economy Prize and the nominated individuals can be found here.
