Booby Prize 2012

And the winner is...the EU?

The European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for promoting peace and democracy in Europe - an honor that came as 27-nation bloc was struggling with its biggest crisis since it was created in the 1950s.

The Norwegian prize committee said the EU was being honored Friday for six decades of contributions "to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe."

"The stabilizing part played by the European Union has helped to transform a once-torn Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace," Nobel committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said.
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Social media exploded with strong reactions Friday, both for and against awarding the prize - worth 8 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million).

"The EU is an unique project that replaced war with peace, hate with solidarity. Overwhelming emotion for awarding of (hash)Nobel prize to EU," Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, wrote in a tweet.

"Nobel prize for the EU. At a time Brussels and all of Europe is collapsing in misery. What next? An Oscar for Van Rompuy?" said Dutch euro-skeptic lawmaker Geert Wilders, referring to Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council.

Needless to say, not everyone in the Old World is happy about this year's choice. It must be nice for Eurocrats to be able to give themselves an award...