Will the war in Ukraine continue to interfere with European cultural policy during the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council, which began on 1 January?
Stockholm hopes to have conclusions on artists in exile approved at the ‘Education, Youth, Culture and Sport’ Council (EJCS) in May 2023. They will emphasise “the importance of giving them protection and support to continue their artistic endeavours”. Furthermore, the Presidency intends to “highlight other aspects of the prerequisites for artistic creativity, as well as artistic freedom and the conditions for the cultural and creative industries”.
While Sweden does not specifically mention the war, at the last ECJS Council in November 2022, the EU Ministers of Culture added a specific section on Ukraine within the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026 (https://aeur.eu/f/4t6 ). In particular, they stressed the role of culture in promoting democracy and the need to guarantee dignified working conditions for artists.
The ministers also discussed the possibilities of assistance to Ukraine in the cultural field and the strengthening of cooperation between European capitals of culture and Ukrainian cities. As the Russian invasion and the resulting destruction of cultural heritage continues, the issue may also find its way into the Swedish Presidency.
Read the work programme: https://aeur.eu/f/4p5 (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)