Statement by Kjeld Løfting, European Council of Artists
Europe faces continuously a number of challenges, which seriously endanger the development of a Europe based on democracy, dialogue and public participation.
The lack of a formulated, renewed European vision, to which the citizens and the general public can relate, has led to growing nationalism, ultra right-wing movements, xenophobia, scepticism towards the present process of enlargement and growing resistance towards the European project itself.
The distance between the political decision makers and the citizens is increasing, and recent research has revealed that only 49% of the citizens in the 15 EU members countries are in favour of the EU compared to 70% in the beginning of the 1990s. The violent parts of the demonstrations in a.o. Gothenburg were mainly caused by disillusion and a growing feeling of powerlessness and exclusion from the political process. This situation calls for urgent political initiatives, which can secure the necessary public legitimacy based on a politically recognised European civil society – also within the fields of culture and education.
The model of a civil society, in accordance with the best democratic traditions on national levels, including a diverse number of organisations and associations based on representative and democratic structures, which are directly committed and recognised in the decision making processes must be reflected also on European level.
In the development of the European welfare states after the second world war cultural and educational strategies and policies – and the development of a public space for dedicated citizens – played a key role in favour of fundamental human rights, popular enlightenment and democracy.
Due to the present challenges that endanger the whole European concept itself, culture and education must be raised to an accepted area of political co-operation, based on a.o. a renewed definition of national and European responsibilities.
The development towards a European civil society within the fields of culture and education has for a number of years been nurtured by several Paneuropean networks and organisations. A number of them are at present financed on an annual basis by the European Parliament and the European Commission.
But the development of a civil society can not be based on annual competition for funding, on short-term projects and time-limited symbolic events.
The development of a politically independent civil society, also in the fields of culture and education, is an ongoing process. It needs not only the involvement and the dedication of the organisations and networks concerned. It needs long-term perspectives with access and links to the political decision making process – and not at least the commitment of the European Commission and the European Parliament.
We urge the Commission and the Parliament to take the necessary steps to secure this process towards a genuine citizen based civil society and to reinstate culture and education in their historical role, in favour of democracy, public legitimacy and the advancements of the ideals of Europe.