New CULT Committee of the European Parliament is formed 

After a month-long series of negotiations, the new Culture and Education Committee of the European Parliament (CULT) has been established.

The committee comprises 30 full members, distributed among the political groups as follows:

• European People’s Party (EPP): 8 members
• Socialists & Democrats (S&D): 6 members
• Patriots for Europe (PfE): 4 members
• Renew Europe (RE): 3 members
• European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR): 3 members
• Greens/EFA: 2 members
• The Left: 2 members
• Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN): 1 member
• Non-attached: 1 member

The geographical composition of CULT could benefit from diversification. Currently, nine Member States have no MEPs serving as members on the Committee: Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, and Sweden. Six Member States are represented only by substitutes (these are MEPs from the same political group who can step in and vote if the full member is absent): Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, Netherlands, and Portugal.

On July 23, the Committee elected its bureau (leadership).

The chair position was won by Nela Riehl (Greens/EFA, Germany) with 18 votes. MEP Riehl represents Volt, Europe’s only pan-European party, that secured five seats in this legislative term overall. Initially, the far-right group, Patriots for Europe, sought to secure the chairmanship for their candidate, Malika Sorel (FR), who received 11 votes, but the majority of CULT members effectively established a cordon sanitaire against her. Earlier, Culture Action Europe together with partners called for a pro-European leadership of CULT. 

The vice-chairs elected are:

• 1st vice-chair: Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP, Poland)
• 2nd vice-chair: Emma Rafowicz (S&D, France)
• 3rd vice-chair: Diana Riba i Giner (Greens/EFA, Spain). 

A Spanish EPP member, Alma Ezcurra Almansa, unsuccessfully proposed a secret ballot to challenge Catalan’s Riba i Giner’s election, which typically is done by acclamation (a round of applause). 

• 4th vice-chair: Hristo Petrov (Renew, Bulgaria)

Culture Action Europe was also pleased to witness the re-election of Roberta Metsola as the President of the European Parliament and the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as the President of the European Commission last week in Strasbourg.

In her opening statement, von der Leyen stressed the need to reinforce the European Pillar of Social Rights, enhance social dialogue, and increase citizen participation. She highlighted the issue of the mental health crisis, and working conditions for both employed and self-employed individuals. In her speech, Madam President also focused on participative democracy, the new European Democracy Shield, and supporting and protecting independent media and journalists.

What’s next on the agenda? European Commissioners. Each member state will nominate a candidate, and Ursula von der Leyen is expected to begin interviewing them in mid-August. Following the summer break, the Parliament will organise hearings for the nominees in the relevant committees. The full College of Commissioners must then be endorsed by the Parliament in the autumn.

Meanwhile, Culture Action Europe reminds policymakers: culture is not a bargaining chip. We need a strong pro-European Commissioner for Culture who understands its strategic importance for Europe’s resilience and democracy. Read more in this piece by our Secretary-General Lars Ebert and André Wilkens from the European Cultural Foundation. 

Want to learn more about the new CULT Committee members and stay updated on the race for European Commissioners? Become a CAE member and receive the Brussels Decoder, our exclusive monthly publication that provides insights into cultural policy developments in the EU.

Photo credits: European Parliament Media Library https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/