The European Cultural Parliament strengthens the role of ideas that revolve around art and culture along with taking initiatives in Europe. It also uses the arts to build bridges across Europe and offers a forum for a regular debate on crucial issues between artists, writers, musicians, historians, philosophers, designers, architects and other cultural personalities from all European countries.
It has long been felt that artists need a parliament, and indeed the European Cultural Parliament gives all artists in Europe a voice. Ethical and aesthetic values must be the essence of a new European society and European artists must contribute towards this.
Every year a session of the European Cultural Parliament meets in a different European city and discusses a different theme. The objectives include how European artists and other cultural personalities can contribute to a better understanding between cultures, religions and regions, and how culture can be an instrument for conflict prevention and the civic transformation in Europe.
Culture should be more than just simple entertainment, and European culture is there to promote European cohesion. Art and culture can be used to improve Europe and European society. This is, in a nutshell, the role that the European Cultural Parliament plays.
The legal and administrative centre of the European Cultural Parliament is in Stuttgart while the secretary general’s office is in Berlin. Today, there are about 165 members from 43 different countries in Europe. This is how large the ECP has grown since 2001. Members are nominated artists and other cultural personalities. The ECP is composed of talented artists and cultural personalities.
It could be that in future such nominations will be replaced by popular elections to truly represent the people’s choice and way forward for the strengthening of European culture in general.