A young Maltese competition winner joined European leaders yesterday to collect the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the EU.

It was a real honour to represent the ordinary citizens of the EU

Speaking after the awards ceremony in Oslo, Larkin Zahra, 23, told The Times: “It was a real honour to represent the ordinary citizens of the EU.”

Mr Zahra attended the ceremony after winning a Facebook vote in a drawing and writing competition on the theme Peace, Europe, Future: What Does Peace in Europe Mean to You?

His winning entry read: “My grandparents would have said ‘a dream’. My parents would have said ‘a process’. I say that it’s my everyday reality.”

The Żebbuġ resident sat with three young Europeans from Poland, Italy and Spain who were chosen by jury.

They were representing EU citizens as the prize was collected by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

Twenty heads of EU states were also present, but Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was absent due to last night’s crucial Budget vote.

Mr Zahra said the highlight of his visit to Oslo was hearing his competition entry quoted in a press conference by Mr Van Rompuy.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee based its decision to award the prize to the EU on the “stabilising role” it played in “transforming most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace”.

The award raised some eyebrows as the EU struggles to contain a financial crisis that has caused social unrest in some member states and exposed political rifts between others.

Mr Zahra acknowledged the EU was not perfect, but said: “The fact that our generation does not even think about war in Europe anymore should not be taken for granted.”