The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament strongly endorses the resolution adopted today in the plenary session in Strasbourg on cultural solidarity with Ukraine and a joint emergency response mechanism for cultural recovery in Europe.
The Russian invasion brought with it a tremendous loss of human lives and the obliteration of livelihoods. As we begin to look at ways to help Ukraine recover from the devastation, we also consider the destruction of many cultural heritage sites and monuments and the looting of cultural goods. Ukrainian artists, cultural workers and journalists have been targeted by attacks, many lost their lives fighting and some have acted in resistance to the Russian invasion by practising their art.
That is why Renew Europe demands an immediate European coordinated response to protect and save the cultural sectors and those involved in it. Culture has to be a priority in the reconstruction efforts and the EU has a duty to mobilize funds for it, as art and culture will have a fundamental role in healing and rebuilding of Ukraine.
MEP Laurence Farreng (Mouvement Démocrate, France), Renew Europe shadow rapporteur, says:
“Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a war against our values of democracy and freedom. Culture, artists, memory and heritage are priority targets to erase the soul of a people and a country through inhuman exactions. The European Union must be uncompromising and fight obscurantism head on. We will not give up in our support for Ukrainian artists and culture”.
