Press Release: European Alliance of Academies: A Strong Voice for a Democratic Europe

From 25 to 26 March, 41 members of the European Alliance of Academies from 17
different countries met in the Akademie der Künste building on Pariser Platz in
Berlin.
In view of the multiple crisis facing the continent, Academy president Jeanine
Meerapfel evoked the origins of the European idea:
“Europe was and is a utopian project. Numerous European countries banded
together, overcame previous enmities and relinquished part of their sovereignty in
order to create the European Union as a project devoted to peace. To this day,
many of us dream of Europe as an open continent. And this is more than just a
dream: it is now three and a half years since we founded the European Alliance of
Academies to campaign together for the freedom of art and the forging of a
democratic Europe.”

In the run-up to the European elections, which take place in Germany on 9 June
2024, the members of the European Alliance of Academies agreed on an election
appeal that would go out to all Europeans:
“Diversity, respect and solidarity are the core elements of lively democracies. The
European Alliance of Academies appeals to the citizens of Europe to assume their
responsibility in protecting these values by exercising their right to vote.” (The full
text is available here.)

The diverse programme gave school students, young artists, civil society actors,
climate experts and members of the Akademie der Künste the chance to discuss
their ideas about Europe and democracy. Existing connections with artists and
creatives from Hungary and Poland were deepened. Alliance members will
continue to focus on combating right-wing extremism and antisemitism and
defending artistic freedom.
Support from the political sphere is essential, as it is up to politicians to create a
framework in which art can develop freely.
Ferenc Czinki, president of Szépírók Társásagá, the Society of Hungarian Authors,
which has been denied any state funding since 2024, affirmed the positive
influence the alliance had in providing solidarity: “You have supported us and
given us ideas and courage. The sense of solidarity you impart has got us through
difficult times.”

In his keynote speech on the opening evening “Between Forced Avowal and
Boycott”, Meron Mendel summed it up perfectly:

“Our only option is to believe in people. And believing in people also means
believing in art. Art’s mission is humanistic in the most profound sense of the word.
And this is why art is under threat.”
The video messages contributed by Claudia Roth, Federal Government
Commissioner for Culture and the Media, and Alexandra Xanthaki, UN Special
Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, stressed the importance of European
integration and pledged ongoing support to the European Alliance of Academies.

You can download this press release here.