08/01/2025 (Agence Europe) – The cities of Chemnitz (Germany) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia) become the new European Capitals of Culture at the start of 2025, which marks the fortieth anniversary of the initiative. The programme kicks off on 18 January in Chemnitz. With the motto “C the Unseen”, the city aims to strengthen the role of civil society through community-led cultural projects and to build a network of “European democracy makers”. Nova Gorica will launch its celebrations on 8 February in partnership with Gorizia (Italy), becoming a “European capital of culture without borders”. The cultural capitals received the Melina Mercouri Prize, accompanied by a €1.5 million award funded by Creative Europe for the quality of their preparations. The European Commissioner for Culture, Glenn Micallef, will present the award at the opening ceremony in Chemnitz. For further information: https://aeur.eu/f/eym (NP)