‘Europe’s future is under threat’: open letter calls for EU elections to take culture seriously

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Ahead of the European Parliament elections to be held from 6 to 9 June 2024, the letter #CulturalDealEU (CDEU), led by the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) alongside Culture Action Europe and Europa Nostra, states that “Culture is clearly “It should be expressed.” It is included in the campaign promises and platforms of political parties and political organizations. ”

of open letter The Netherlands-based charity points out the importance of culture to the European Union’s ideological goal of promoting the integration of member states by respecting each country’s individual culture.

“Culture ignites the hearts and energizes the spirit of our people. Culture expresses what we want for the future of our society. Without culture, the very future of Europe is under threat. It is a beating heart,” an ECF spokesperson told Euronews.

The CDEU letter lists a number of challenges facing the EU’s sense of unity based on shared values. More recently, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “posed dire challenges to the whole of Ukraine, including the cultural sector.” In addition to bringing death and destruction to cities and civilians, including many artists and cultural workers, the invaders are also deliberately targeting Ukraine’s cultural assets. ”

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point for Europe, the ECF argues, as the threat posed by Putin’s approach grows across the continent. “The rise of populist and extremist parties in many countries is challenging the very foundations of democracy and the values ​​that people have long enjoyed.”

Europe values ​​culture

Cultural heritage is of great importance to European voters, the CDEU letter explains. According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, eight in 10 Europeans believe that cultural heritage is important to their communities, regions and the EU as a whole.

The cultural sector also employs 7.7 million people in Europe, accounting for 3.8% of total employment in the EU and similarly contributing to 4% of EU GDP. However, only 0.2% of the EU budget is allocated to culture. By comparison, agriculture contributes 1% to the EU’s GDP, but receives 11%.

Considering the differences in how culture is funded, an ECF spokesperson explains: “Despite data showing its economic, social, and essentially cultural dimensions, culture is still considered a sector of lesser importance and is therefore placed on the periphery of political thought and action. It is a value for Europe and for Europe in the world.”

It is very important that the European Parliament takes cultural influences seriously, the ECF continues. “We are concerned that the far right is using culture to better understand the power of culture and influence hearts and minds by penetrating the social media realm. , because culture is what shapes us as Europeans and therefore should be at the heart of the European project and at the center of the debate about the future of the continent,” they explain.

promotion of european culture

This is not the first time the ECF has stood up for EU culture. This organization he has run since 1954 and has overseen some of the EU’s largest cultural exchange programs. In the 1980s, it helped launch the Erasmus student exchange program, and around 14 million students have since studied abroad.

ECF’s most recent success was in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. ECF launched the Cultural Deal for Europe campaign alongside his two main cultural networks in Europe, Culture Action Europe and Europa Nostra. Similar to the EU’s Green Deal, the idea was that the EU would focus on incorporating culture into its pandemic recovery policies.

Due to the pandemic, the EU’s cultural sector lost around 200 billion euros in revenue in 2020, but the Cultural Pact for Europe campaign was a success. This was supported by over 110 cultural networks and organizations and led to the European Parliament adopting a 2% target for spending on cultural recovery, securing around €12 billion.

This new campaign, launched by the ECF ahead of this year’s shocking elections, aims to revisit and extend the goals of the Cultural Pact for Europe. The three networks are once again calling on European politicians and political organizations to take culture seriously, including it in their manifestos and explaining to leaders the importance of culture in civil society. They want to “realize the potential of culture and cultural heritage for sustainable development, as a force for peace and social justice, as well as efforts to fully integrate culture into the EU’s Green Deal.”

Alongside the 2% target for cultural funding, the CDEU plan envisages improvements in market and non-market areas of the cultural sector. This ranges from industries like film and music to the less visible but important goal of “strengthening European sentiment”.

Proposals include adding culture to the European Commission vice-president’s portfolio and a long-term EU culture policy.