Tusk is a "patriot and a great European at the same time," the judges said on Saturday, January 16.

"He represents the effort to reject nationalist urges which are resurgent again, especially in Eastern Europe," said spokesman for the prize selection panel, Juergen Linden.

The western city of Aachen awards the prize each spring to honor an individual for their service to liberty and democracy in Europe.

Third Pole to receive prize

Tusk, 52, became prime minister in November 2007 and was a vocal advocate for the ratification of the EU's Lisbon Treaty. He has branded his center-right politics with advocacy for Polish interests and traditions while avoiding isolationism.

Tusk is the third Pole to receive the prize, following the late Pope John Paul II and late foreign minister Bronislaw Geremek.

Previous recipients also include former US President Bill Clinton and current German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Polish premier will receive the prize at a ceremony in Aachen on May 13.

acb/dpa/AFP/AP
Editor: Toma Tasovac