The Machiavelli Prize 2023 for outstanding achievement in the field of public communications was awarded to Mayor Jaap Velema of Westerwolde, which covers the village of Ter Apel and the overcrowded asylum registration center located there. According to the jury, Velema manages to communicate calmly and sharply on a highly sensitive and polarizing topic while working for the interests of everyone involved. The award is also recognition for the entire community in Ter Apel, the jury said.