Culture as Europe's salvation

Italy's ambassador to Germany, Antonio Puri Purini, writes in the German monthly Cicero that Europe can use its cultural legacy to find a way out of the present political crisis. "Europe can only be successful if Europeans recognise the existence of common interests. Culture is a driving force behind this sense of unity. ... When we move around within the European Union we experience and enjoy the diversity that gives expression to a single cultural sphere; it leads to Europe being perceived beyond our borders as a unified whole. Therefore, to me the idea that national identity and European identity can be strengthened through culture and that the ideal Europe and the real Europe can melt into one does not seem overoptimistic. ... If we are not proud of our cultural legacy, Europe will dissolve into nothing more than an economic area; it will not be in a position to consolidate its political profile through integration. Common rules and values, provided they are supported by effective institutions, ... must forge Europe's identity in the 21st century."

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Cultural Policy, » Europe