Art & Culture

Culture for all, right away!

IN BRIEF

Cultural workers generate major economic and social value but face low pay and precarious conditions.
EU funding for culture remains disproportionately low.
Fair work, mobility rights and social protection must be guaranteed.
Access to culture and media is essential for democracy.
Artificial intelligence and media concentration must be democratically regulated.

GOOD WORK FOR CULTURE AND MEDIA WORKERS

Culture Is Work — And It Is Essential

During the coronavirus pandemic, the European Parliament called for 2% of the EU’s Next Generation funds to be invested in culture — a modest proposal given the sector’s importance.

Cinemas, theatres and cultural venues were closed, cutting off democratic spaces for collective experience. While audiences turned to books and streaming, many cultural workers were left unemployed or underpaid — a situation that continues today.

The cultural and creative industries (CCI) employ more people in the EU than the automotive sector. Around 12 million people worked full-time in culture before the pandemic — 7.5% of total EU employment, generating 5.3% of GDP. Although numbers declined during the pandemic, the central problem remains: cultural workers’ incomes are persistently low. Working conditions are often precarious, with inadequate social security contributions. Many face double taxation when working across borders.

Europe is more than the EU. We must also address the specific challenges facing cultural workers in the United Kingdom and consider the broader links between cultural development and migration.

If cultural workers generate over 5% of EU GDP, allocating at least 2% of total EU funding to culture is not excessive — it is reasonable.

Fair Work and Funding

WE DEMAND:

A Fair Work label on cultural products so consumers know that creators were properly paid.

Effective prevention of double taxation for cultural workers operating across EU borders.

Simplified mobility arrangements for artists from neighbouring regions (UK, Balkans, North Africa, Eastern Europe), including fair remuneration and accessible work permits.

Erasmus+ receives €26 billion between 2021 and 2027. By contrast, the Creative Europe programme receives just €2.55 billion. This imbalance is unacceptable. Doubling the cultural budget must be the minimum objective.

Access to culture strengthens dialogue, understanding and peace.

Culture, Democracy and Access for All

Culture is not only employment — it is a democratic necessity. Societies that invest in cultural exchange are less vulnerable to nationalism and hatred. We must defend access to culture, information and communication for everyone — and safeguard the public role of GLAM institutions (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) and public broadcasting.

Public Access and Regulation

WE CALL FOR:

Stronger interlibrary cooperation and accessible knowledge-sharing.

Increased investment in projects such as European, public European media and public libraries.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping media and cultural production. Artificial intelligence is now producing news content, influencing public debate and even competing in creative fields.

AI must be regulated under the rule of law to prevent discrimination, privacy violations and misinformation. Culture and media must fall under high-level regulatory standards — not treated as a secondary concern. Media freedom initiatives also require stable institutional support. Without them, journalism faces growing risks from media concentration, SLAPP lawsuits and state Interference. Intercultural dialogue and memory policies must remain central to European cultural funding. The cultural exception in copyright law must be safeguarded for public access, research and education.

Migration has always been an enrichment for culture

Migration and Cultural Exchange

Migration is not a threat — it is part of Europe’s history and cultural renewal. Migrants and asylum seekers bring experiences, creativity and perspectives that enrich societies. Recognition, respect and opportunities for cultural participation are essential. Fostering intercultural exchange and inclusion is a core responsibility of the Left.

For a multiple culture without taboos

Whether in the cities it governs, or in the states where it is brought to power, the extreme right attacks culture, reducing it to manifestations exalting narrow nationalism, or leaving it without means if this culture wants to be critical and innovative. It censors books in the name of moral or religious principles of another age.

For the EL, the EU, which is in itself a melting pot of diverse cultures, must support artists and artistic creation without taboos.

Defending cultural workers’ rights and guaranteeing access to culture for all is essential to building a Europe of solidarity, creativity and peace.