European Economic
and Social Committee
EESC PLENARY: Culture at the heart of a resilient European democracy, urges EESC
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a high-level debate demonstrating that culture is not a luxury, but a strategic asset for democracy, social cohesion and Europe’s economic resilience. Speakers called for stronger political recognition and sustained investment to turn ambition into action.
Participating in the debate on 30 April were: Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport; Nela Riehl, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education; Tanja Hristova, Member of the Committee of the Regions, Vice-chair of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture; and Lars Ebert, Secretary-general of Culture Action Europe.
EESC President Séamus Boland stressed that, even in times of geopolitical uncertainty, culture must not be sidelined: In today’s geopolitical context, it may be tempting to see culture as a luxury. I believe the opposite is true. Culture carries values, protects freedom and helps sustain Europe as a united political project. We cannot imagine a resilient European democracy without culture at its heart
.
Members of the Civil Society Organisations' Group participated in the debate:
Luca Jahier, rapporteur for the EESC opinion SOC/853 on A Culture Compass for Europe, said: The Culture Compass sends a strong political message: culture is not at the margins of the European project, but at its heart. Culture is a vector to defend and strengthen democracy, counter populist and authoritarian narratives, and enhance preparedness, sustainable development, social cohesion and a stronger sense of belonging.
Laura Albu entered the debate highlighting current challenges in the cultural sector, in particular women artists who face the instability of freelance work and unequal burden of unpaid care
. We cannot talk about the status of the artist without talking about social security, maternity rights and childcare
.
Zornitsa Rousinova pointed out that the success of the Culture Compass will depend on inclusive multi-level governance
and to this end civil society, local actors, cultural sectors and youth organisations must be fully involved
.