Let’s Talk Politics | BEYOND 2025 Replay

What does it mean to advocate for culture in times of volatility and political shift? At BEYOND 2025: Being Many, the panel “Let’s Talk Politics” gathered voices from the European Parliament, civil society, and the cultural sector to explore just that: the status quo and the future of cultural policy in Europe.

Moderated by Lars Ebert, Secretary General of Culture Action Europe, the session was a clear call to action: “Cultural democracies do not aim to replace existing forms of provision, but to challenge their dominance. We must step up our game and talk hard politics.”

With contributions from MEPs Benedetta Scuderi, cultural practitioner Zsuzsanna Zsuró, and Mateja Lazar of Creative Europe Desk Slovenia, the discussion unpacked the ambitions and tensions surrounding the Cultural Compass, the future of Creative Europe, and the urgent need to defend freedom of artistic expression across Europe.

The political context is clear: we’re in a critical moment in the EU policy cycle. And as Lars reminded us, “If the EU recognises the significant role of culture—with appropriate support—then culture will contribute to Europe’s future in a distinctly value-based way.”

The panel emphasised the importance of Creative Europe as a stand-alone programme, the need to embed cultural values in cross-sectoral policies (including competitiveness and defence), and the real risk of instrumentalising culture without ensuring its intrinsic freedom and autonomy.

Rewatch the full session here: