A delegation of MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education expressed their great satisfaction for the excellence of the artistic program and the legacy that the 2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital is expected to leave in the city of Elefsina, congratulating the entire team for the titanic effort.
During their three-day stay in Eleusis, the MEPs had the opportunity to tour the city, as well as the infrastructure that hosts the activities of the 2023 Eleusis program, such as the Iris, the Canteen, the Old Oil Mill, the Old Town Hall, the Oasis, the X-Bowling Art Center, to be informed about the program of 2023 Eleusis, to visit the five exhibitions and art installations that the organization is currently hosting, to hold discussions with the partners about the legacy that the European Capital of Culture will bequeath to Eleusis and to talk to local youth cultural groups.
Welcoming the MEPs, the mayor of Elefsina, Argyris Economou, stated: “Apart from the infrastructure, which is the main goal and priority for the Municipal Authority, the intangible legacy is something that we want to be put in consultation with the people of the city, to listen to ideas and proposals, so that what will remain will be what the city needs”. As part of the official visit, they also met with the Deputy Minister of Culture Nikolaos Giatromanolakis, the Regional Governor of Attica Georgios Patoulis and the Mayor of Elefsina Argyris Economou.
After the completion of the mission, the Vice-President of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and Head of Delegation Andrey SLABAKOV gave a press conference, where he stated: “We are here because the organizing committee of the 2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital and the Greek government did a very good job. As head of the mission, I believe that I convey the feelings of all my colleagues by saying that for the third day we do not feel like guests, but participants.” In addition, he noted characteristically that the “Opening Ceremony of the European Capital of Culture was full of talent”, while concluding with the assurance that “as the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament we will make every effort, as we have been doing for three and a half years, to reduce bureaucracy not only in relation to the European Capital of Culture, but also for everything related to projects in the field of creation. […] After all everything in history is decided by culture and art.”
The other the MEPs then took the floor, congratulating the organizers for the excellence and artistic value of the actions they have organized so far and called on citizens to embrace the Capital of Culture and journalists to continue promoting the events throughout the year.
The delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee also consisted of the following Members of European Parliament: Tomasz FRANKOWSKI (European People’s Party, Poland), Monica SEMEDO (Renew, Luxembourg), who emphasized that “culture must be as inclusive as possible: the elderly, people with disabilities, children, vulnerable groups, everyone should feel that they have a stake in this wonderful event”, Maria WALSI (European People’s Party, Ireland), who shared her enthusiasm for meeting the local youth group Cultterra, “because that’s where we see investment in the future. We must proceed to synergies with other cities on this issue”, Emmanuel MAUREL (Left, France), who called Eleusis a “palimpsest city”, while emphasizing that culture brings a lot of money to his country’s GDP, João ALBUQUERQUE (Socialists, Portugal) who characteristically said that “what politicians often do not understand is that Culture is a primary sector of the economy.”
