Culture is fundamental to EU future, say practitioners welcoming Micallef portfolio

Cultural practitioners in Malta have welcomed the appointment of Glenn Micallef to the Commission of Ursula von der Leyen with a remit that includes arts, youth, sport and intergenerational fairness.

At 35, one of the youngest Commissioners, Micallef was the last of Von der Leyen’s 27 commissioners to be announced with a portfolio that is a sliver of a larger ‘education’ remit.

But leading arts and culture practitioners disputed a MaltaToday headline that described the portfolio as being politically “weak”.

In the outgoing commission, youth and sport formed part of a larger portfolio under Iliana Ivanova of Bulgaria, which also comprised innovation, research, culture and education. The responsibility of education has now been hived off to vice-president Roxana Mînzatu of Romania, whilst research and innovation went to Ekaterina Zaharieva of Bulgaria.

“It’s not a weak portfolio,” said Toni Attard, an actor and consultant in the creative field. “Considering the rise in radicalism, misinformation, climate change and war, culture must assume a more significant role at EU level. It’s not a weak portfolio. It’s fundamental for the future of the European Union.”

The Arts Councils head of strategy, Adrian Debattista, said Micallef’s appointment to the portfolio was especially positive given the ongoing cultural policy advancements in Malta. “It signals more possibilities for culture to take a more central stage in the EU social agenda,” he said on social media.

Creative practitioner Kris Polidano said the arts were an indicator of a higher quality of life, which Malta was in need of, and which could not be quantified merely by run-of-the-mill GDP calculations. “My appeal is for Micallef to help us change this stifling mentality, and make our communities aware that profit is not inherently proportionate to value and that nourishing these sectors might actually lead to a better Europe that is sustainable on all fronts.”

Independent curator Andrew Borg Wirth said Micallef would be responsible for  fields that are of major importance and considerable influence.  “Whether he is up to it, is yet to be seen; but it is not a weak portfolio.”

The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association said it recognised the importance of this role as being crucial for advancing cultural and creative sectors. “As MEIA, we strongly believe that the EU must urgently prioritise culture and creative sectors. Culture, encompassing arts, heritage, and creative industries, is vital to freedom, civil society, justice, resilience, human rights and beyond. 

“We call on local media not to undermine the critical nature of this portfolio. The Commissioner’s role is vital for advancing cultural policies, and it is high time for European and Maltese leadership to fully acknowledge the value of this sector and integrate the strategic importance of these policies in institutional arrangements and portfolio distributions.”

The secretary-general of Malta’s Olympic Committee, Kevin Azzopardi, said it was an honour that a Maltese national would be at the helm of the European sporting agenda. A similar accolade, this time with respect of the audiovisual sector, came from Malta Film Commission head Johann Grech.

In the last decade, the Labour administration has pledged a Charter of the Status of the Artist, reduced income tax for the arts, new rehearsal spaces, the introduction of a Culture Pass for under-25s, as well as regional cultural strategies.

Still, it is individual EU member states that are responsible for their own policies for the cultural sector, and the role of the European Commission is to help address common challenges. These include the impact of digital technologies, changing models of cultural governance and the need to support the cultural and creative sectors in innovating.

The Commission also helps member states mitigate the adverse effects of crises and any challenges where coordinated EU response might prove beneficial.

Apart from the New European Agenda for Culture, the EU’s current  Work Plan for Culture sets out four priorities for European cooperation in cultural policy-making: empowering cultural and creative sectors, enhancing cultural participation and the role of culture in society, unleashing the power of culture for the wellbeing of the plant, and strengthening the cultural dimension of EU external relation.