Over 300 individuals and organisations have been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Institute announced on Wednesday.
While the official list has remained confidential for 50 years, political figures have claimed that US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis are among the nominees.
A total of 338 nominations were submitted—244 for individuals and 94 for organisations. This marks a rise from last year’s 286 but falls short of the 2016 record of 376.
Although the prize committee does not disclose nominees, those eligible to nominate—including former laureates, lawmakers, cabinet ministers, and some academics—are free to reveal their choices.
US Congressman Darrell Issa declared on Monday that he had nominated Trump, stating, “No one deserves it more.”
He cited Trump’s Middle East diplomacy as the reason, though his submission came after the deadline. Meanwhile, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko reportedly nominated Trump in November.
Trump has been proposed in previous years, but his nomination now would be particularly notable as he engages in talks with Moscow over the Ukraine war and unsettles European allies with his foreign policy stance.
Among other potential nominees are former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Pope Francis, according to Norwegian media.
Additionally, a UK petition with thousands of signatures has called for Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot to receive the prize for her courageous public stance during the trial of her ex-husband, who was convicted of enabling her abuse.
Last year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, Japan’s atomic bomb survivors’ group, for its advocacy against nuclear weapons.
