On Wednesday 14 October, the President of the European Commission gave more details about her idea for a “European Bauhaus” which she had previously mentioned in her State of the Union speech last month (see EUROPE 12562/35). She explained that it will be a project in three phases, which, among other things, will select five European projects related to sustainability, art and culture.
The five projects might, for example, involve future-focused mobility or resource-efficient digital innovation, von der Leyen said.
Supporting the Green Deal
The purpose behind the European Bauhaus, which is named after the school of architecture and applied arts founded in Germany in 1919 and closed down by the Nazis, who accused it of teaching degenerate art, is to bring the Green Deal into people’s minds and homes. “The new European Bauhaus will demonstrate that what is necessary can also be beautiful”, says the Commission.
A carefully produced introductory document indicates that the project could take the shape of a discussion forum, a space for art and culture, an experimentation laboratory, an accelerator, a hub for global networks and experts, and a contact point for citizens interested in the topic.
Details still unclear
At this stage, however, it is unclear how the project will be funded, as the press was not able to ask questions after von der Leyen’s pre-recorded video message.
However, the President of the Commission gave some details on the project’s three phases: (1) a design phase, when the idea will be explored and the initiative shaped; (2) a delivery phase, when five European projects will be selected; (3) an enlargement phase, because the project “is intended to grow and move beyond the EU’s borders”.
The document mentions a first wave from 2021 onwards and a second wave in 2023. The details will have to wait, however.
The introductory document can be found at: https://bit.ly/318umqt (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)