July 25, 2024

The recent European Parliament elections have concluded, setting the stage for significant political shifts that will impact the life of Europeans in the next 5 years: this new political landscape will impact the cultural and digital sector too. With a lot happening at international level, it is possible you have missed the development for the European Parliament and the implications for the cultural sector.

Here is an MCA recap of the major milestones of the beginning of this new legislative term. 

Elections on June 6-9: a new equilibrium

The European Parliament elections took place between June 6 and June 9, 2024. Voters across the EU elected 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who will represent their interests for the next five years​​​​. Immediately after the elections, political groups within the Parliament began negotiations to form alliances and coalitions. This period has been critical as it shapes the distribution of power within the Parliament and determines the leadership roles and committee assignments​​.

WHAT IS THE EU PARLIAMENT FOR

The Parliament is one of the three key institutions of the European Union and is the only one directly elected by the citizens. It works in committees that focus on specific policy domains. At the decision-making level, it performs certain fundamental functions:

• approves the European budget, which determines the funding of programs like Creative Europe, Horizon Europe, and Erasmus+
• participates in the reading and adoption of key legislation, such as the recently approved AI Act
• in rare cases, can request legislative action from the European Commission on hot topics, as in the case of the Working Conditions for Artists and Cultural Workers.

Note: The Parliament does not normally have the ability to propose laws (a priority that belongs to the European Commission), but it can request the Commission to act, acting by majority (Art. 225 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).

The far-right took a significant turn in the European Parliament: the three parties on this side of the parliament (Conservatives and Reformists, Patriots for Europe, and Europe of Sovereign Nations) now represent just under 26% of the total parliamentarians. Center forces like the European People’s Party (right-leaning) and the Socialists and Democrats (left-leaning) are still the most numerous parties, while  Renew (center) and the Greens (left-wing) are respectively the 5th and 6th largest groups.

Read here partys’ manifestos run-through about proposal for cultural policies, by Culture Action Europe.

Road to nominations and moments of concern

With the elections concluded, it was time to focus on internal party agreements, which would then lead to the election of key figures within the Parliament and the top EU job; the President of the Commission. 

After the new balance stabilized, on July 9, each parliamentary group expressed their preferences for the chair of various committees, including the CULT committee, dedicated to culture, education, youth, and sport. As reported by Euronews, the new group Patriots for Europe (far-right) expressed interest in this committee, crucial  for our sector, as well as the Transport and Tourism Committee (TURN). This news sparked mobilization within the cultural sector, driven by sincere concern regarding the priorities of this group—in their manifesto. In fact, these positions have a pivotal role in the administration of the committee, organizing meetings, setting the agenda, and allotting debating time to members. The chair also represents the committee to other EU institutions, giving this way an image of the committee itself. 

The Cultural Deal for Europe partners, endorsed by multiple cultural organizations, issued a statement urging the election of a pro-European Chair to safeguard cultural values and promote inclusivity and equity: MCA officially supported this statement. 

In this context, the pro-European parties (from the EPP to the far-left) formalized a so-called “cordon sanitaire”, agreeing to prevent the presidency of any committee from going to Eurosceptic parties through voting. In fact, the assignments of July 9 were informal, and they could still be voted down by committee members. Following the timeline, each committee would formally elect a chair and up to four vice-chairs in its constitutive meeting later that month (July 23). The chances of a chair from the Patriots in the CULT committee were low but not absent.

July 16-19: times for decisions

On the following days, the main chairs were agreed: on July 16, 2024, Roberta Metsola (EPP, Malta) was re-elected as President of the European Parliament. She secured 562 out of 699 votes in the first round, continuing her leadership until 2027​​. The election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission took place shortly after the parliamentary elections – with 401 votes out of 701, Miss Von der Leyen will steer the Commission for a second mandate for the next 5 years.

How does the president of the Commission election work? 

• Nomination: During a European Council meeting, leaders of the Member States nominated a candidate for the Commission presidency and other EU top jobs, considering the results of the European elections. 
• Approval by Parliament: The nominated candidate must be approved by an absolute majority in the European Parliament. If the candidate does not receive the necessary votes, Member States must propose another candidate within a month​​​​.

 

Miss Von der Leyen’s program for the next term touches different domains at the policy level – here you can find the Political Guidelines 2024-2029. For the major part, the programme follows her previous priorities of the last legislative term, 2019-2024.  Here is a breakdown about cultural heritage, research and digital transformation.

• Culture and Cultural Heritage: Ursula von der Leyen emphasizes the importance of Europe’s rich cultural heritage and its role of showing the “European way of life”. The guidelines propose initiatives to make it easier for people, especially younger generations, to benefit from Europe’s diverse cultural heritage​ [page 20].
• Innovation and Research: The political guidelines stress putting research and innovation at the heart of Europe’s economy. The focus will be on increasing research spending on strategic priorities, groundbreaking fundamental research, disruptive innovation, and scientific excellence. Expansion of the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council is planned. [page 10-11].
• Digitization and Digital Europe Programme: at the center, there is the need to boost productivity through the diffusion of digital technologies. There is a strong focus on the implementation and enforcement of digital laws such as the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. The creation of a European AI Research Council and the development of a European Data Union Strategy to enhance data access and sharing while maintaining high privacy and security standards are also key components [page 11]

Composition of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT)

One of the major milestones for cultural policies was the nomination of the CULT committee.

The CULT Committee is a vital body within the European Parliament that deals with cultural affairs, education, youth, and media policies. This committee is responsible for legislation and oversight in areas related to this area: this includes programs like Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and initiatives related to media freedom​​. On any given subject, committees appoint an MEP from their ranks to steer the entire decision making process as Parliament adopts its position on the matter. Their 2019-2024 Activity Report highlights its work over the past term, focusing on improving artists’ working conditions, supporting cultural recovery post-pandemic, and promoting European cultural heritage. The full report can be accessed here​​.

On July 19, the composition of the CULT committee was announced: with 30 members and as many substitutes (who can participate in case the official member cannot participate in the session), this composition should reflect the balance in the Parliament itself. This 5 years the CULT committee will be composed like this:

– European People’s Party: 8 members
– Socialists & Democrats: 6 members
– Patriots for Europe: 4 members
– Renew Europe: 3 members
– European Conservatives and Reformists: 3 members
– Greens: 2 members
– The Left: 2 members
– Europe of Sovereign Nations: 1 member
– Non-attached: 1 member

The New CULT Committee

The only remaining step was to appoint the chair and vice-chairs of the CULT committee during its initial meetings. 

On July 23, the “cordon sanitaire” activated and the Greens candidate for the chair, Nela Riehl (Germany) was elected with 18 votes, surpassing the Patriots for Europe candidate Malika Sorel (France). The rest of the bureaux of chairs is composed by Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP , Poland), Emma Rafowicz (S&D, France), Diana Riba i Giner (Greens/EFA, Spain), and Hristo Petrov (Renew, Belgium).

The Greens’ Programme for Culture and Digital

Since the Greens will be heading the CULT committee, they will be able to lead the political conversation on topics important to them. The Greens have outlined a comprehensive cultural agenda in their manifesto – here are some initiatives they propose in their programme.

Culture as the spark of change: The Greens emphasize the value of artistic expression as essential to democracy and believe that culture can help imagine solutions to contemporary challenges. They advocate for continued support for the production and distribution of art and culture across Europe, particularly supporting experimentation and diversity of expressions. It is one of the few party that includes culture as a force for systemic change, quoting it as instrumental for the activation of the Green and Social Deal they propose. A European Artist Status is proposed to ensure good working conditions and minimum standards for artists and cultural workers across member states​.

Digitization and Digital Europe Programme: The Greens emphasize sustainable digitization in all sectors that protects individual rights and serves the common good before private corporate interests – what is usually defined as “human-centered approach” and that we discuss in our Action Group on Digital & AI. The Greens propose a European Data Space to open anonymized social data for common good uses, such as climate justice. They advocate for greater interoperability in digital policy, involving developers, civil society, and SMEs in the standardization process. They champion the decrease of environmental impact of digital: they plan to do it by increasing the reuse and recycling of digital devices and components, and reducing energy consumption linked to data processing.

4. What’s Next: The Election of the Commissioner for Culture

The next major, crucial step will be in September and October with the election of the commissioner who will handle cultural affairs. Today, the position is titled “Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth” but in the past, this portfolio was at risk of downgrading when the term “Culture” was removed from the official title of Commissioner Gabriel. The cultural sector and civil society successfully mobilized through an online petition to officially request the appropriate level of recognition.

The process for appointing the Commissioner for Culture involves two major steps:

• Nomination: Member States nominate candidates for Commissioner roles, considering their political orientations – each country has the right to have 1 commissioner and usually political games influence the assignment of most important roles. These nominations follow agreements between the EU Commission presidency and the member states.
• Parliamentary Hearings: Nominees undergo rigorous hearings in the European Parliament, where MEPs evaluate their suitability. In October 2023, we covered the hearing of Commissioner Ivanova, after Maryia Gabriel stepped down to deal with her country’s (Bulgaria) political situation.
• Approval: The full College of Commissioners must be approved by the European Parliament in a single vote​​​​​​.

The new Commissioner for Culture is expected to be appointed by November. This role is crucial for shaping cultural policy and ensuring adequate funding and support for the cultural sector across Europe​​.

The aftermath of the European Parliament elections marks a period of significant political activity and decision-making that will impact the cultural sector profoundly. As cultural professionals, staying informed and engaged with these processes is essential to advocate for policies that put culture and cultural heritage at the core of the European project.

 

Copyright Photos © European Parliament

References:

1. Centre-Right EPP Grabs Key Jobs in First Parliament Allotment- Euronews
2. Courage to Change: EGP Manifesto 2024 – Green Manifest
3. Statement on the Election of the EP CULT Committee Chair – Culture Action Europe
4. European Parliament Election Polls – Politico
5. Roberta Metsola Re-elected as President of the European Parliament –European Parliament News
6. CULT Committee Activity Report – European Parliament
7. Political Guidelines 2024-2029 –European Commission
8. Answering Rightward Shift in 2024 EU Elections: Need for Strong Parliament’s CULT Committee and Culture Commissioner – Culture Action Europe
9. CAE Toolkit for Elections 2024 – Culture Action Europe
10. Far-right Patriots Group Springs to Third Force in European Parliament – Euronews