The European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity regret the absence of any mention of “culture” in the 2025 State of the Union Address delivered by President Von der Leyen to the European Parliament.
Of the nearly 8,816 words devoted to sovereignty, security, technological independence, economic growth, and the democratic future of Europe, not a single word was dedicated to culture, creativity, or the challenges they face in the digital environment. In a world where Europe faces multiple threats—geopolitical, technological, climatic, economic—maintaining cultural diversity is not a luxury. It is a strategic and historical asset, a vector of democratic resilience, a factor of economic dynamism, and a major challenge that the European Union must take up with ambition.
The European Coalitions point out that the European Union has, in the past, been able to build a protective framework for creation. Thanks, in particular to the Directives on audiovisual media services and copyright, Europe has been able to implement policies that have struck a balance between the development of digital services, respect for the rights of creators, and the maintenance of strong support for European creative works.
More recently, the AI regulation also enshrined the application of intellectual property law to AI services, although the recent adoption of a Code of Practice by the European Commission was a profound disappointment for all those who refuse to see copyright and creators’ livelihoods undermined. The incomprehensible absence of any reference to culture and creativity is all the more regrettable given the radical transformation brought about by artificial intelligence and threats of deregulation from outside, particularly from the United States.
Faced with these risks to our cultural model and, in the future, our cultural policies, it is more necessary than ever for Europe to reaffirm its clear and resolute commitment to creativity and cultural diversity of expression. This missed opportunity by the President of the European Commission strengthens the Coalitions in their determination to put culture back at the heart of the European agenda and project. For Europe cannot be strong and independent without an ambitious cultural policy.