Giovanni Sartori Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences 2005

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2005 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, made up of D. Gonzalo Anes, D.ª Carmen Caffarel, D.ª Pilar del Castillo, D.ª Adela Cortina, D. Álvaro Cuervo, D. Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, D. Ángel Gabilondo, D. José Luís García-Delgado, D. Manuel Jesús González, D. Luís González Seara, D.ª María del Carmen Iglesias, D. Juan Antonio Martínez Camino, D. Hans Meinke, D. Adolfo Menéndez, D. Aurelio Menéndez, D.ª Ana Rosa Migoya, D. José Oliu i Creus, D. José Manuel Otero Novas, chaired by D. Manuel Fraga Iribarne and with D. Juan Vázquez as secretary has elected to confer the 2005 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences on university lecturer Giovanni Sartori.

The Jury wish to highlight his considerable research on contemporary debate in political science.

His commitment towards the range of safeguards and freedom of an open society is ever-present in his work, which is devoted in particular to establishing a theory of democracy.

Professor Sartori has reflected upon and called attention to the social and institutional problems of our times and to the need to offset the different forces of democratic society.

His thinking enjoys extraordinary prestige amongst international public opinion.

Oviedo, 8th June 2005