This year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be announced this Friday (10), in Oslo, Norway, just days after United States President Donald Trump achieved what many may consider his greatest diplomatic achievement to date: the beginning of a ceasefire in Gaza.
This Wednesday (8), Trump confirmed that Israel and the terrorist group Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of their peace plan, which envisages the release of all hostages in exchange for the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops and an exchange of prisoners – a decisive step towards ending the two-year-old war.
The Norwegian Committee that awards the prize must announce the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize at 6 am (Brasília time) on Friday. An announcement containing Trump’s name, however, is seen as unlikely at this time, even after the advances in Gaza.
Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by foreign leaders and parliamentarians who highlighted his efforts in peace negotiations in different regions of the world. Among the names are the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, who recognized American mediation in dealings with Hamas; the governments of Pakistan and Cambodia, which sent formal nominations citing the United States’ role in reducing regional tensions; and Republican Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia, who filed a solo nomination saying Trump “restored American leadership and pursued historic peace agreements.”
The Israeli Forum for the Families of Hostages and Missing Persons, a group representing relatives of hostages held by Hamas, also sent a public letter to the Norwegian Committee asking that the award be given to the American president, stating that he “brought light to our darkest days”.
According to the agency France-Presse (AFP), The committee that decides the Nobel Peace Prize is currently made up of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, which is currently controlled by the center-left Labor Party. The group is chaired by Jørgen Watne Frydnes, who was nominated to the committee by the Labor Party, and also includes Berit Reiss-Andersen, lawyer and former president of the Norwegian Bar Association, who was also nominated by the same party and is known for her progressive positions on international issues. This composition is seen by analysts as one of the factors that could make it difficult to choose the American president, at least in this year’s edition.
Professor Peter Wallensteen, an expert in international politics at Uppsala University, assessed the AFP that “maybe next year, when the dust settles [completamente] on Gaza, Trump has a better chance” of winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Analyst Brett McGurk, from CNNformer US national security advisor in Democratic and Republican administrations, agrees with this point. In an article published this week in CNNMcGurk stated that this year it is “highly unlikely” that Trump will receive the Nobel Peace Prize, but highlighted that, if the American president manages to consolidate the peace agreements in Gaza and Ukraine, “he will be able to legitimately claim the 125th Nobel Peace Prize” next year.
Since its creation in 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to those who perform “the greatest or best work for fraternity between nations and the promotion of peace”. Four American presidents have already received the award: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama – the latter in 2009, less than a year after taking office.
Trump has stated that he seeks the award not out of personal vanity, but as recognition of the “global effort for peace” led by his government. In a speech to military personnel last month, the Republican declared that “they [o comitê responsável pelo prêmio] they will never give me [o Nobel da Paz]but I deserve it. It would be a great honor for our country.” The head of the White House recalled, on the occasion, that his government has already ended seven wars and considers the peace plan for Gaza the greatest example of his policy of “peace through strength”.
