Citizenship is the Highest Office. Job Cohen, ‘European Hero'

Job Cohen quietly waits his turn. He is polite. He is engaging. But he never hesitates to say whatever needs to be said, and is always prepared to step into the breach for groups or individuals who, for whatever reason, are in danger of being 'overruled‘. Amsterdam's mayor has an unerring instinct for preserving good relations. He adds his weight to the scales whenever they seem likely to be tipped out of balance. These qualities have not gone unnoticed. TIME Magazine recently named him one of the European Heroes of 2005 for the unique way in which he defused the racial tension that surfaced after the murder of Theo van Gogh. At the beginning of November 2005, he was awarded the Citizenship Prize by the Flemish P&V Foundation.