Khaberni - The Nobel Peace Prize winner for 2025 is scheduled to be announced on Friday, in a year overshadowed by a months-long campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump to win what can be considered the world’s most prestigious award.
Trump has openly expressed his desire to receive the prize, which was previously won by four of his predecessors: Barack Obama in 2009, Jimmy Carter in 2002, Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
All won the prize while in office, except for Carter, and Obama was selected for the prize less than eight months after taking office, the same is currently the case with Trump.
However, when Jørgen Wettenheds, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, approaches the microphone at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo at 0900 GMT, experts in the prize field completely rule out that Trump's name will be announced.
The Gaza Agreement May Be Too Late to Affect This Year's Prize
Trump announced on Wednesday an agreement to cease fire in Gaza and the release of detainees, as part of the first phase of his initiative to end the war in the sector.
However, according to the Norwegian daily Verdens Gang, the committee made its decision on Monday, before the announcement of the deal, and even if its five members were aware of it before making their decision about this year's prize, it is unlikely they would rush a decision that typically takes several months of discussion.
Nobel prize experts consider Trump’s chances of winning highly unlikely, attributing this to what they consider his efforts to dismantle the post-World War II international world order that is highly valued by the Nobel Committee.
Instead, experts expect the committee might prefer to spotlight the "Emergency Rooms," a volunteer network of Sudanese, or a United Nations body such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Court of Justice, or an aid organization like the Red Cross or Médecins Sans Frontières.
They might also highlight the work of journalists, after a year that saw an unprecedented number of media workers killed while covering news, most of them in Gaza. If they decide to go this route, Nobel might honor the Committee to Protect Journalists or Reporters Without Borders.
The Spirit of Alfred Nobel's Will
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, consisting of five members, primarily bases its decisions on the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. The will also forms the basis for the Nobel Prizes in Literature, Chemistry, Physics, and Medicine.
Nina Graiger, director of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, says Trump's withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, and his trade war with allies are in conflict with the spirit of Nobel's will.
How Does the Nobel Committee Make Its Decisions?
Informed sources say that the selection of the prize winner takes place after a year-round deliberation process where the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates are discussed by the committee of five members.
Nominations must reach the committee by January 31. Members of the committee can also present nominations, but they must be presented before the first committee meeting in February.
Thereafter, the committee meets approximately monthly. The decision is usually made in August or September, and may be made later, as happened this year.
The Nobel Committee says it is used to working under pressure from individuals or their supporters who believe they deserve the prize.
Friedens, head of the Norwegian committee, said, "All politicians want to win the Nobel Peace Prize."
He added, "We hope that the ideals supported by the Nobel Peace Prize are something all political leaders should strive to achieve... We observe the interest, whether in the United States or around the world, but beyond that, we operate in the same way we always have."
