Front Burner: Who Gets to Win the Nobel Peace Prize?

Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Jayme Poisson (CBC)
Guest: Jay Nordlinger — Author, Peace, They Say: A History of the Nobel Peace Prize; Writer at The Next Move

Episode Overview

This episode explores the politics, controversies, and changing legacy of the Nobel Peace Prize—prompted by the awarding of the 2025 prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Host Jayme Poisson and guest Jay Nordlinger delve into how the Peace Prize is decided, why it courts controversy, its meaning in the modern era, and what it reveals about international power, democracy, and the West’s moral priorities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. María Corina Machado’s 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

• Profile: Machado is described as "a very brave woman. She lives in hiding. There is a price on her head" [02:58, Jay Nordlinger]. She has become the central figure in the pro-democracy movement against President Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela.
• Controversy: Some see her as a “pro-democracy hero," others argue she is “an American proxy” who supports U.S.-led sanctions and backs American foreign policy [03:28].
  • On dedicating the prize to Trump: Host notes Machado “dedicated this prize to the people of Venezuela and to President Trump… He’s the main supporter of this fight against this narco terrorist cartel” [04:03].
  • Nordlinger’s take: “I think that was prudent. I think that was tactical… She needs US backing… these little guys in hiding need all the support they can get. It’s quite unequal” [04:32].

2. The Politics of the Peace Prize

• Winners Reflect Western Geopolitics: Many laureates are opposition figures from countries in conflict with the West (Russia, Belarus, Iran, now Venezuela)—but rarely are activists challenging Western transgressions awarded [07:20].
  • Nordlinger: “The Norwegian Nobel Committee would be more disposed to the opponents of tyrannies than to democratic governments” [07:47].
• Perpetual Controversy: "There are very few Nobel Peace decisions that are uncontroversial. Even that to Mother Teresa, even that to Albert Schweitzer… It’s pretty hard to name one, honestly" [06:15].

3. Presidential Aspirations and the Prize

• Donald Trump’s Obsession: Trump has “let hang out” his desire for the prize. Nordlinger remarks on “never so brazen a campaign, ever so open and brazen” [08:49].
  • Trump quote: “If it were somebody else, they would have gotten five Nobel Prizes… I was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize” [09:06].
  • Analysis: For Trump, “The Nobel Peace Prize… has always meant glory… being crowned almost as a secular saint. That still holds true, and Trump wants it because I think vainglory demands it” [09:49].
• Barack Obama’s Win:
  • Obama’s 2009 prize is referenced as a benchmark, with some suggesting Trump’s desire is partly a reaction [10:45].
  • Obama quote: “…the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms” [12:49].
  • Nordlinger is skeptical that Obama “made good on the original promise,” noting politicians “always disappoint” [12:17].

4. Origins and Mechanics of the Prize

• Alfred Nobel’s Legacy: Created to reward those best advancing “fraternity between nations… peace congresses… reduction of armies” [13:31, 16:55].
• Selection: Five Norwegians, elected by their parliament, serve six-year terms and interpret Nobel's will—expanding “peace” to include work in human rights, environment, and economics [15:24].

5. Most Notorious and Problematic Laureates

• Henry Kissinger: Joint winner in 1973 with North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho for the Paris Peace Accords. Prize is considered “the most controversial peace prize ever awarded” [21:32].
  • “Kissinger tried to return his Nobel Peace Prize. And he was informed… the Nobel Peace Prize is not returnable” [22:02].
• Aung San Suu Kyi: Won for pro-democracy activism; later, as leader of Myanmar, presided over mass atrocities against the Rohingya minority [22:37].
• Abiy Ahmed: Ethiopian Prime Minister awarded for peace with Eritrea, later implicated in violent conflict in Tigray [22:37].
  • Lesson: “It’s a very risky business to award a Peace Prize for work already done” [23:27].

6. Symbolism, Evolution, and Relevance of the Prize

• Changing Definition: The concept of “peace” continually stretches—sometimes too far for purists [15:24].
• Enduring Influence: The prize remains a “megaphone… a handy tool with which to promote whatever it is you’re wanting to promote” [26:41].
• Historical Reflection: “It gave you a neat survey of the whole 20th century… On one hand, things change… On the other hand… nothing changes. The same old hubris and false hopes…” [25:25].

7. Democracy and Authoritarianism Today

• Current Significance: With democracy under threat and authoritarianism rising, the symbolic power of the prize persists—especially for laureates in the Global South [26:17].
• “The democratic idea is in a difficult moment today… does the moral weight or import of the Peace Prize take on a new meaning right now?” [26:17, Poisson].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Nobel Committee’s Politics:
  • “[The committee] would be more disposed to the opponents of tyrannies than to democratic governments.” — Jay Nordlinger [07:47]
• On Trump’s Obsession:
  • “There’s never been so brazen a campaign, ever so open and brazen a campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize… his sheer coveting of the Nobel Peace Prize he has let hang out.” — Jay Nordlinger [08:49]
• On Risky Awards:
  • “It’s a very risky business to award a Peace Prize for work already done… if one could only have hindsight.” — Jay Nordlinger [23:27]
• On History:
  • “The same old hubris and false hopes and dashed dreams… It was ever thus. And the older I get, the more I see it.” — Jay Nordlinger [25:25]
• On Today’s Relevance:
  • “It gives you a platform, a megaphone… to promote whatever it is you’re wanting to promote.” — Jay Nordlinger [26:41]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote | |-----------|--------------| | 02:58 | Introducing María Corina Machado; her background and pro-democracy work | | 03:28 | Dual perceptions: “pro-democracy hero” vs. “American proxy” | | 06:15 | The rarity of uncontroversial Peace Prize choices | | 07:20-07:47 | Why the Prize seldom goes to critics of the West | | 08:49 | Trump’s campaign and desire for a Nobel Prize | | 09:49 | Nordlinger’s reflection on why Trump craves the prize | | 12:49 | Obama’s Nobel lecture excerpt on U.S. global security | | 13:31 | Explanation of Alfred Nobel and the Prize’s creation | | 15:24-16:33 | How the Prize’s definition has broadened | | 21:32 | The notorious Kissinger-Le Duc Tho joint award | | 22:37 | Problems with laureates later implicated in atrocities | | 25:25 | The Prize as a “survey of the whole 20th century” | | 26:41 | The Peace Prize’s continuing weight as a global platform |

Conclusion

Jayme Poisson and Jay Nordlinger trace the arc of the Nobel Peace Prize from its idealistic origins to today’s fraught geopolitical reality. The episode underscores how the Prize, far from being a purely moral or apolitical accolade, is a mirror of international struggle, hope, and sometimes hypocrisy. In an age when democracy feels endangered, the symbolic clout of the Peace Prize is, perhaps paradoxically, more significant—and more contested—than ever.