The missing European dimension by Hatto Fischer 2013

This presentation was given at the conference "Cultural Encounters: Mosaic of Urban Identities" organized by the University Network of European Capitals of Culture and held in Marseille, Oct. 17 - 18, 2013

Introduction

During the last European elections for the European Parliament, during the eve when results were coming in, a reality showed itself in Brussels. Hardly a person was to be seen far and in between. After all it was a Sunday and the Brussel crowd usually heads home over the weekend. The square in front of the European Parliament is only busy during the week, and in particular if Parliament does not convene during that one crazy week in Strasbourg. Instead the only ones present were the various media companies doing their obligatory coverage. It is said that the EU Commission pays a lot for positive friendly reports. That is a part of the problem as to why the European dimension is missing for things can only exist if not artifically induced. Otherwise it is a dangerous entanglement without an end to the soul of Europe being hurt repeatedly in the process of denial and other motives which are not honest. Already in 1999 when Santer as President of the Commission had to go, this transition to Prodi was used to reform the EU Commission. It meant ousting the most creative people who could have upheld a positive learning process made possible by the EU Commission and EU Parliament saying in dialogue with the reality of citizens and able to support innovative programmes which make the learning possible. One of them was the Article 10 ERDF Programme which stated clearly two aims for funding projects: show how culture can create jobs, but also how over commercialization can be avoided since the latter would destroy cultural identity. Such novel formulation was not a demand to give it all but opened up the essential dilemma of money and culture. This clarification is still badly needed and more than ever the economic crisis over the past years since 2009 at the latest has made this task more urgent than ever before.

Media coverage of European election results in front of EP in Brussels

Europe based on Western values

With many going to China to do some business, including KEA as consultancy for 'Creative and Cultural Industries', it should not come as a surprise that Liverpool 2008 developed as European Capital of Culture as well a vital link to Asia. As this may even indicate a new kind of diplomacy effort from below, such a trend can be expected since China has become a driving force behind globalization. But while poets turn to the Haiku form as if the greatest mastery of all times is to write a poem restricted to three lines, and others to Eastern philosophy for whatever reason, a self critical contemplation of Western values is needed. For the European dimension should not be confused with Eurocentricity.

An image provided by Arthur Koestler in his book 'The Yogi and the Master' may be a good start for contemplating Western values. After having examined in Asia whether or not Eastern philosophy is superior to Western philosophy, this prolific writer stated that he prefers to come back to Europe and even if it means to ride on the back of a donkey.

One reason Koestler gave is that the West values the keeping of written records, so that changes can be observed and consequently a learning out of mistakes is possible. The other aspect is that Western values uphold free speech and therefore a free press along with copy right protection. Both these aspects allow European culture to substantiate democratic practice.

By comparison, Eastern philosophy relies according to Koestler on oral messages articulated by the master to his pupil and this within a never changing hierarchical relationship. It does not include what is so important to European culture, namely active memory work. The latter is based on empathy and imagination, and allows not only an understanding of the other, but an acceptance that this person can have a different opinion. Since Ancient Greece this democratic principle to agree that there can be disagreement was taken as something self understood within democracy.

In short, the European dimension is about upholding such cultural values which make democracy work as a political system based on majority rule while respecting minority opinion, It has also become after many ups and downs in history a way of life which Europeans seem to enjoy since 1945. It includes equality between the sexes and that children have Rights so as that they are protected against all kinds of abuse.

Since no short term solutions are ever sufficient, democratic practice has to be based on binding agreements holding over a longer period of time and therefore requires the ability to work with memory. Needed for reaching a deeper understanding of things, that is only possible over time. It is best done by gaining insights into how changes are brought about so that this process can still fulfil the ethical demand that means and goals correspond to one another.

Since memory work allows a conscious reflection of experiences becoming over time a part of a common shared self-understanding as to what constitutes Europe, the consequences if the European Union would miss out on this crucial European dimension can hardly be imagined, never mind be anticipated. All the more is of interest what European Capitals of Culture indicate when the European dimension is only partially or not at all fulfilled. They are literally speaking a test case for democracy in Europe.

However, ECoC cities have yet to be fully examined from this very specific angle as to what is their contribution to a culture which can uphold democratic life in Europe. So far they have been used much more as an experiment to gain insights what value culture has for the economy and what use for cities if in need of urban regeneration. Only in a secondary sense have they touched upon the question what culture Europe needs to advance in a democratic way. As if they copy the fact that culture itself has but secondary competence at EU level, it means Europe is producing many more unresolved problems along its path of integration and consolidation, then what it seems able to handle at this moment.

Democratic governance is in doubt once too many people turn away from the European Union. It seems as if it can only exist by expanding still further to include ever more member states. By now there are 28 member states forming the European Union and yet still more are to come in near future. This poses an ever greater challenge as to how Europe shall be governed in future especially when Hegel said already in the 19th century the old way bourgeoisie society can exist is by expanding. This self acclaimed success is used to silence the criticisms being levelled in an increasing way as to how the European Union handles not only the terrible situation of the many unemployed or how resources are used to build still more roads, all while inequality in Europe amounts to the same thing as in the United States where the rich get richer and the poor merely poorer.

It has be ascertained that only once these democratic values are actively upheld by all citizens, that Europe can be considered to be something like a spiritual home for critical thought and artistic achievement. That is of utmost importance. Critical is the institutional tension between concept and reality. The tension can never be resolved by affirming simply the decisions taken by the European Commission after consultation and negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Council, for the Europe Union is not the same as Europe. That means even when all EU actions are taken together, they still do not address Europe as a whole. Thus one crucial evaluative criterion of EU institutions has to be if they guarantee the freedom to experience European reality. For only lived through experiences allow for such critical judgements which can be made independent from what the EU Commission or even a member state wishes to propagate or claim. They do so to justify not only their actions but to legitimize their very existence. Since the failure to ratify the EU Constitutional Treaty in 2005, this is very much in doubt. The crisis in Europe is since then one of legitimacy and only from an independent position of knowledge from whatever the EU claims can it be validated what is going on in Europe.

There is one important question which Shakespeare posed in Hamlet: should you suit the word to the action or the action to the word? If the European Union is caught, politically speaking, in a permanent rationalization between these two very different spheres, then Europe has lost its ethical compass and shall be without that self critical dimension needed to uphold democratic values. Needless to say, this self critical consciousness is only possible, if everyone is aware how important is this independent position of knowledge. Otherwise everything is subject to ideology of a modern kind and people are blinded as to what is happening in reality.

So to return to the image of Arthur Koestler, for sure by now most of the donkeys are gone in Greece and elsewhere. They have been replaced by four wheel driven Jeeps, but still Picasso's Don Quixote says something about Europe's tale of the small confronting the tall.

There is one telling formula as to what makes a city into a truly European one - the interplay between the small and the large. Already the importance of retaining a human scale is underlined once sky scrapers violate the law of proportion. It is said no house should be taller than trees. Things stand to get out of proportion in all consuming society which seeks only more, faster and bigger cars as if man does not stand to learn from nature and from the arts to keep a sense of proportion. It was Vincent Van Gogh who stated the ability to keep the law of proportionality is the greatest of all arts. Western values are manifested in that sense and therefore they refer as well to works of arts by Michel Angelo and many others who have made visible man as measure of all things. The beginning of that was democracy in Ancient Greece.

However, the difference between East and West or how to retain a sense of Western values is not the only concern. A far greater problem poses the legacy of Western civilization itself. As described in The marketplace of voices by Waqas Khwaja countries, not only India and Pakistan, but also Greece and Europe find themselves entangled in a post colonial phase. European society is dominated by a special group which prides itself to be the so-called elite. It is a term Joschka Fischer reintroduced into the European debate when he recommended in his Humboldt speech of 2000 that the European Parliament should be made up of the 'elite of the elites' of the different member states. Such an anti-democratic term prompted among other factors the rejection of the EU Constitutional Treaty in 2005. If the European Union reproduces but a model taken from the 19th century and the colonial past, then citizens will not go along with that kind of development. For it would mean cultural self defeat and acquiescence to an anti-democratic way of governance. The Troika rule installed in Greece and elsewhere along with the way technocratic governments have been imposed to by pass objections of citizens to austerity measures are examples of what is in store if this stays unchallenged. As economist Robert W. Parenteau from the Levy Institute would put it good economic models and wise policy measures work only if people put up a fight for democracy.

Still it is is claimed that Europe is based on Western values and this means since 1945 one key demand has to be fulfilled, namely to continue to learn out of past mistakes. Ana Magraner has in view of this moral obligation translated the EU programme 'Life Long Learning' into a 'Life Long Love'. The latter term says what is needed if the soul of Europe is to be really alive and able to speak to the people in Europe. Certainly the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Europe in 2013 precisely because new institutions of the European Union were created out of the ashes of Second World War, institutions which have made possible peaceful existence to take shape in Europe. It is nothing short of a miracle that the once sharp borders as between Germany and Poland have become by now a peaceful cross over point for further economic and cultural cooperation.

What produces set backs or why some member states have yet to emancipate themselves from the past, can be explained. According to Waqas Khwaja the post colonial mind is beset by an elite which copies merely models thought to be successful elsewhere. That elite is not at all concerned with the negative impact this blind copying of models and ill devised policy measures will have on their own society. Since many countries especially on the periphery of Europe are going through this bad imitation due to facing an economic crisis and their own cultures not offering any real solutions to these new challenges, Europe is increasingly being perceived and debated as if nearly a lost cause. Typical for the rhetoric of this elite is to blame the other e.g. in Greece the economic woes are linked solely to Germany as if in need of one scapegoat, while not admitting at all to any of the mistakes they have made themselves in the recent past. Rather they transcend all experiences made by evoking a national identity which stands for a continuity with the ancient past. By seeking to paper over the breaks and mishaps, they negate the need to do any memory work to make sound criticism possible. By upholding the illusion of a continuity of identity even though a cultural assertion which excludes all the others, they leave aside rational politics based on search of knowledge in tune with Western values and instead engage themselves in Populism and all kinds of rhetoric ranging from extreme Nationalism all the way to clearly anti democratic positions. The latter is underlined by a revival of Extreme Right Wing and even Fascist ideological fervours.

Since Western values are connected to the Parthenon, Franz Fanon explained why this cannot be the only value premise for the entire world. For the post colonial mind knows only how to enslave others and exploit them till they perish. That is not any different to what neo liberal policy makers attempt to implement when they call for reforms but apply at best very crude austerity measures.

Moreover history has shown that the Western value orientation can very quickly translate itself into discrimination, if not even into war. For example, the readiness by which the philosopher Levy could advocate the bombardment of Libya to oust a dictator, says something about the justification of violence to achieve a doubtful end. Likewise Saddam Hussein was toppled by an invasion of Western armies. This violence linked to waging war is something horrific and stands in odd contrast to how Europe emerged out of the ruins of Second World War. Above all regime change by force says democratic value are not necessarily upheld by free and fair elections. Rather democracy and its value system is at best a useful tool used whenever an opportunity offers itself to press home the point to other countries, but if they do not comply and cooperate fully, then other means including the extension of war by way of drone strikes are used. Instead of showing solidarity with the so stricken people, Europeans seem to go into hiding and allow silence to rule. It replaces the British rule of the empire, but nevertheless post colonialism amounts to an intricate system of dependencies. It favours doing business with dictators rather than with unruly democracies. No wonder when Saudi Arabia is preferred since a good purchaser of the latest weapons whether now planes, tanks or new surveillance technologies.

Indeed, democracy is endangered when the trade with weapons flourishes for it means a highly unproductive economy. That Eisenhower recognized clearly after 1945 when seeing on what the American economy depended upon. Trade with weapons goes against everything a Western culture stands for. This includes its humanist tradition and an ethical vision of non violence and peace.

In view of where Europe stands in 2013, it is most difficult to advocate a political philosophy intended to advance democratic practice. Especially if the relationship between the European dimension and culture has not been thought through, then policy measures will miss out on clear concepts and instead by conveyed by vague metaphorical analogies. One example is that the EU concept for culture uses the biological term of 'flourishing' just as the terms 'sustainability' or 'creativity' are highly elusive ones. They mean everything and nothing.

For instance, even while the EU Commission has declared 2013 to be the year of the citizen, there is a growing gap between the way decisions are made within this larger Europe and the citizens who are facing multiple measures curtailing and affecting their lives, but without any real political perspective to rectify this situation. Too much takes place within the framework of EU institutions designed to cater to the member states who pretend in turn to uphold solely national interests, when underneath that coverage quite other interest groups push through their agendas.

If the European Union stands solely for upholding the illusion that a member state is still the same sovereign and independent nation as was the case in the 19th century, then Bob Scott's position that a European Capital of Culture should be the sole representative of its respective nation shall be upheld in the selection process i.e. no border city will be chosen. That then is alarming for it will lead to cities which have been designated the title will miss out on the European dimension and shall reflect merely at best a combination of local and national interests.

At a time when Europe is transforming itself not only into a banking union but also into a fortress which excludes many more than it includes, it means that Europe risks to leave its citizens behind and especially many more migrants stranded. Already too many of them never made it alive to European shores.

Only once democratic values are practised, then Europe can be considered to become something like a spiritual home for critical thought. That is of utmost importance since the tension between concept and reality can never be resolved by affirming simply what has been realized by the European Commission. As the latter has become virtually a political apparatchik, much done in the name of public relation exercises reminds of propaganda exercises performed by the Soviet Union in the hey days of Socialist ideology. When film maker Wim Wender advocated at a conference of the organization 'Soul of Europe' held in Berlin 2010 that Europe needs a new form of propaganda to sell itself abroad as if a product, only one panel member from Poland contradicted this by stating 'we had enough of propaganda'. The latter is a method by which people are brought to accept and to do things even if against their own free will.

Europe is not the same as the European Union nor the action the whole reality. There is, however, the one important question which Shakespeare posed in Hamlet: should you suit the word to the action or the action to the word? If caught in a permanent rationalization then Europe has lost that critical dimension which is so important to safeguard democratic values while being aware as to what is happening in reality.

For good policy measures to be shaped, the European institutions have to act together on a number of set out principles. They are laid out in the various treaties signed by the member states, for culture the most significant one so far is the Maastricht Treaty and Article 161 (formerly 151). That difference between concept and reality is critical to comprehend the European dimension. Only when this difference is not upheld, and Europe is completely identified with the European Union, then all citizens can be easily subjected to propaganda and manipulation.

Negative political methods are only possible, if there is but an elusive gap between values and practice. Such a negative reality is justified by Machiavellian politics upholding the public lie. At the same time, it means everything is set into motion to keep people forgetting about the past as if they live in an eternal present. Without the ability to compare between then and now, they cannot relate to that critical difference or articulate their doubts on the basis of their own practical judgement about measures about to be taken. As any lawyer would point out, if that is the case, then the European Union has a legitimacy problem. If not resolved in a good way, the real serious cases of abuse of power in the name of the European Union will go unchallenged and Europe a continent no longer able to uphold its own i.e. Western values.

Even though philosophers have declared that hierarchy is still the unresolved problem of society and therefore of organizations, this should not hinder in the realization of the key principle of the Western value that all human beings are equal. It goes hand in hand with the world wide declaration all agree can upon, namely that human dignity is in need to be upheld by everyone. Jürgen Habermas went even on step further and stated that human dignity is such a moral value which needs no further justification. Such a premise could facilitate according to him the European Union becoming but a stepping stone towards world governance with a clear requirement being that states give up their full claim of national sovereignty.

Likewise the European Union functions best when there prevails a cultural consensus about the basic values and which need no further justification. Values like transparency, accountability and especially in the cultural fields consistency are referred to already as to how the institutions should work to ensure democratic governance.

It should be clear by now that when it comes to organizing such unique events as the special year of a European Capital of Culture, these values have to be upheld, if the European dimension is to be fulfilled. Without the full endorsement of culture, these values cannot be translated into open horizons, in order to do creative work. To a large extent, creativity and innovation is only possible if all human relationships are not subjected to hierarchical principles. Rather the work of culture to be facilitated by European Capitals of Culture should ensure and contribute towards a humane society. The latter stands for human relationships being shaped according to a cultural and therefore human self consciousness best articulated when the arts follow a sense of equality and dignity to make this possible in real life.

Something more needs to be said about memory work required for democracy. If cultural governance is best based a consensus of values, the decisions made to allocate and to use cultural resources need to work out differences between concept and reality. It was Kant who said already if the other does not understand what one means with that concept, then with certainty one has not yet understood oneself well enough that concept to be able to explain it. Lack of consensus is thus a source of criticism and should not be mistaken as obstacle. Rather true culture works with resistance just as creativity follows out of the insight that not everything is possible. Working through the three dimensions of theory, practice and practical judgement as to what can connect the two, entails as well another way of organizing things. Again Kant said philosophy is the art of asking good questions to draw out a person and thereby allow for the unfolding of creative energies in what becomes then an expression of human substance. That equates directly with honesty, one of the hardest questions according to Edmund Husserl and therefore often neglected even when merely passing on half hearted informations rather than making sure they do not go against in the end against anyone.

This work of culture requires of ECoC cities that they contribute along the way towards safeguard memories people have of Europe. If Wittgenstein noted that philosophy is just a special way of remembering things, the organization of memory entails an active work of archives. While the preservation of libraries, archives and other forms of memory storages have been challenged by the digitalization conversion, they still reflect serious attempts at retaining for the future both tangible and intangible heritage. The latter incluces songs, tales, poems, but as well all kinds of criticisms ranging from films, theatrical performances, musical or dance events to criticism of ECoC cities themselves. Unfortunately this most vital element for sustaining the arts, namely criticism is too readily overlooked when ECoC cities press home the need to appear in the media and to the Eurepan Union as having staged a successful year. Rightly so Bob Palmer criticizes the increase in spin doctor like reports which match the so called creative accounting tricks so that in the end not merely the figures, but the series of events listed no longer add to a plausible claim that the European dimension has been fulfilled during that one year of implementation. There is more to merely absolving a year of events. Many cities are capable of managing this, but to uphold cultural identities and more so the freedom to express criticism of the arts and culture in Europe to ensure consistency in working through all contradictions, that is something else. The latter may be an even greater challenge in future than what can be anticipated at the moment.

Memory studies attempt to give an answer to the need to compare what we knew back then to now. Melina Mercouri used this slogan 'now as then' but this myth of continuity of identity has to be subjected to such critical reflections and still further going studies before some convincing appraisal can be made as what European Capitals of Culture claim to have undertake during that so-called 'magical year'. For cities it is important to have received the designation of that title but if only used to change the image of the city, then that is clearly not sufficient. It may attract more visitors to that city, but it says little how this has altered the interaction between visitors and residents of that city to give shape to a new relationship to Europe. It would be important what was done culturally wise to allow for a discovery of the European dimension. That may be the case in stories being told to show in a special way how memories begin to flow at that specific location in Liverpool or Pecs once people from all walks of life come together and transform this into a truly European meeting. If so, it would allow those present at such meetings to connect with others living elsewhere in Europe in special, indeed even magical ways.

That magic is missing when there is a wide spread failure of the European Commission and all the other EU institutions, including the member states represented in the European Council, to realize that the needed social dialogue with civil society and citizens of Europe has not been brought about. That dialogue supposed to be a structured one and has led to the creation of Platforms devoted to give Access to Culture, to promote an Intercultural Europe and to enhance Creative and Cultural Industries. All three are already priorities set by the European Commission. In practice these Platforms have become mere lobby orientated organizations which are paid by the European Commission and therefore pro Europe in a way that they become highly elusive in their practices and use of language. In turn, this nourishes but a lot of criticism of how especially the EU Commission is soliciting ever more propaganda techniques to uphold its position within the EU institutional setting. This criticism has altered the European debate. Quite some pessimistic viewpoints are being expressed as to what is to be expected as outcome of the upcoming European elections for the European Parliament come May 2014. There is fear anti European Union forces will gain more than 25% of the vote and therefore could block in future the taking of wise decisions on behalf of the whole of Europe.

Definitely people are saying nowadays more often this is a Europe which we did not want! So what went wrong and what opportunities have been missed since the start of the European Union had been the 'Steel and Coal Community? Have European Capitals of Culture missed out on opportunities to fill the European dimension with life?

Given the risk of being misunderstood when critical of the European Union as if being 'anti-Europe', let there be introduced a more nuanced self understanding. Just as the poetess Katerina Anghelaki Rooke would say it is so difficult to say one is Greek and not be misunderstood this to mean to be a nationalist, likewise to be critical of the European Union does not mean to be anti European. To make that difference more clear reference can be made to the writer Heinrich Böll. He predicted during the period of the Cold War and before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, that anti Communism would bring forth one single political school of thought and which shall dominate politics of the future, namely 'anti-politics'. It means simply questioning the European progress on hand of what European Capitals of Culture achieve over this one year should not be equated with the usual anti European Union positions articulated as of late. Rather criticism is meant to uphold the tension between the European Union and Europe with European Capitals of Culture perhaps the best mediator in practice.

2. Cultural Dimension ECoC

Vision of Melina Mercouri

Her vision to initiate European Capitals of Culture was prompted by the question about the role of cultural policy within the European Union for until 1983-85 the economic factor dominated, as does still nowadays and even more so now that Europe and Greece in particular finds itself in a crisis since 2009:

“How is it possible for a Community which is deprived of its cultural dimension to grow?”

Insofar as Melina Mercouri introduces the 'growth' dimension, she is not as a politician really far off the mark. After all it is the consensus amongst all European politicians that the economies of the respective member states but also the single market of Europe can only prosper, if there is 'economic growth'. This relates directly to what has become a magic word or the key formula for guaranteeing success and justification of expenditure, namely 'European extra value'. If anything, this is the material component of the European dimension.

Still, it should not be forgotten that during the oil crisis, there became known the initiative of the Club of Rome which advocated 'zero growth'. That begs still the question whether or not an alternative to a constant economic crisis in the making can be found, for fettered economic growth threatens both the planet and society. There is on the one hand climate change along with all the environmental damages, and on the other there is the unresolved issue of unemployment. The latter is as much the result of not working together but within such structures that ensure paid work is as much a scarcity as is a political concept in need of if recognition is given to each and everyone when it comes to making contributions to the life in a community of men, women and children.

Translated into a search of human values allowing everyone to have access to the community, it would demand of European Capitals of Culture not to go down that same road as wished for by an economy only concerned about profits but not about the costs of having to clean up all the waste left behind by this highly destructive path. It would mean not to claim success as a European Capital of Culture, if only those stories are told in quantitative terms as if likewise a profit only making machine can be counted as being successful i.e. so many visitors, so many projects or actions have been undertaken to ensure for 1 Euro spend there is a return of at least 8 to 10 Euros.

Rather an alternative economy has to be found. Hence the entire city could become in the cultural fields an experiment to try out alternative ways of working and living together. Instead the many cities which have carried the ECoC title have merely reproduced in a more intensive fashion Consumerism. And it does not stop there. For with it goes a catering of interests linked to ever higher incomes indicated best by attracting the bigger spenders. But once yachts anchor in the harbour and those with higher incomes arrive at the airport, the economy no longer is driven by the need to preserve an equality between all inhabitants. Consequently this economic turn transforms culture into a highly discriminatory tool and show cases the stark difference between those with money and those who cannot afford it. The latter are serviced by what are called staged events in newly created public spaces to ensure that the masses of people are passive and do not resist new mechanisms of discrimination being installed all in the name of public order. Needless to say this lets forget that culture is really there to give every individual tools and means to understand the situation being experienced at the beginning of the 21st century.

Naturally given the economic reality, the question surely posed is why be so dismissive of this notion of growth when applied to culture? And a second question could be in reference to the famous article of Maastricht Treaty which speaks about the wish to let all European cultures "flourish", if that is not an alternative to the simple notion of growth, even if in this biological and botanic term of flourish can mean a special kind of growth? The first question will require an elaborate answer linking culture to knowing goals of content rather than being a mere numerical output measured in terms of GNP and other related economic indicators. Also culture strives through artistic activities which do not really compare between what Van Gogh thought of when painting his famous chair and a sculpture creating out of clay a chair. Both are different expressions which are judged in aesthetical terms whether or not they touch the human fabric making up human self-understanding. As Dostoevsky put it, there is no progress in the arts; Sarraute claimed that Kafka would have written like Dostoevsky, if he had lived in the same time period. That seems to be lost in the minds of those who seek to make merely a functional use of culture to attract visitors to an iconic and symbolic building like the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao with the building itself saying it all, never mind the artistic content. In other words, the trivialization of the arts and therefore of culture is huge risk if European Capitals of Culture implement merely a programme designed to attract the highest number of visitors and does little else to give recognition to the hard work of culture to uphold a humane form of self understanding.

Important is that Melina Mercouri articulated a political responsibility for upholding the cultural diversity within Europe and therefore would stress the need to recognize differences and thus in need of institutionalizing 'dialogues between cultures':

“Our role as Ministers of Culture is clear. Our responsibility is a must. Culture is the soul of Society. Therefore, our foremost duty is to look at the foundations and nature of this Community. This does not mean that we should impose our ideas. On the contrary, we must recognize the diversities and the differences amongst the people of Europe.”

and in order to unify Europe through culture:

“the determining factor of a European identity lies precisely in respecting these diversities with the aim of creating a dialogue between the cultures of Europe. It is time for our voice to be heard as loud as that of the technocrats. Culture, art and creativity are not less important than technology, commerce and the economy.”

As to the path taken from this initial idea of Melina Mercouri to how the project of European Capitals of Culture has evolved, a lot can be said. The vision has been honored by the European Commission devising the Merlina Mercouri prize: a way to ensure that the gap between the original bid and the programme being finally implemented is not that far apart as is often the case when cities realize this is an opportunity to engage in self promotion. By now the idea has been reshaped over the years since 1985 by many different actors, cities and their citizens. It is an amazing story. Naturally in 1985 there existed quite another level as to what artists were thirsty for with regards to what should constitute culture in Europe. To Athens '85 came almost every well known actor in the culture fields. It included Peter Stein, Peter Brook and many other artists eager to link up with the idea. They did so out of a wish to give something they had thought about the arts and culture could do for European society. They did something together which had not been found till then as being possible within the new Europe. For culture is not merely a proclamation of success, otherwise the Greek hubris could not be reflected in Hamlet by Shakespeare. Rather it aims to show the difference between how humanity acts and what could be a true form of wisdom, peace and happiness. This longing needs to be expressed and recognized as a true need for otherwise no solution can be found and those proclaimed shall be highly dissatisfactory, if not outright lies.

Greece and Europe

Once Melina Mercouri was asked whether or not she considers herself to be European. Her answer as retold by her brother Spyros Mercouris was that to her Greece and Europe are one.

Melina Mercouri's answer cannot be understood without reference to Ancient Greece. Within Europe this is linked to the belief in democracy, but such a vision needs to be articulated and be up-dated in a way so that it can made a difference for the future.

One example of this has been the last ECCM Symposium and Kids' Guernica Exhibition called 'Productivity of Culture' (http://www.productivityofculture.org/) Held in Athens 2007, it marked the opening of the Documentation Centre for all European Capitals of Culture, but which was maintained only until 2009.

To date the real challenge of Ancient Greece to all contemporary poets, philosophers, artists, politicians and citizens is whether or not they can bring about as did the Ancient poets and philosophers likewise a vision which looks 2000 years or more ahead.

When the European Capital of Europe started in 1985, it was a continten still hurting very much from the two World Wars. There were wounds in need to be healed and culture had to be engaged especially in redemption work. That process is still far from being complete as indicated alone by the huge gap between Germany and Greece with regards to coming to terms with their respective histories and especially what happened during Second World War.

Presumably culture can only be used like a cream to be put on those historical wounds. Soft memories will answer the need not to forget, but as indicated by Ulrich Fuchs in Marseille, that does not mean necessarily an open debate about what happened in Algiers can take place even today in France. There is still a silence preventing a new dialogue between Europe and the Arab world and even Marseille 2013 could use this opportunity to initiate such a debate.

Culture means not to forget insofar as 'memories of the future' enable to look forward in anticipation of things to come. It is, however, constant work not to let culture be abused. Also what is needed not only from artists, but from all entering the debate a contribution to an articulated resistance against all kinds of negative presumptions about culture. This resistance is most convincing when based on honesty, itself a reflection of the kind of innocence children bring with them into this world and which they stand to lose very quickly as they grow up in a fast, equally indifferent world. Consequently there is a need for critical dialogue to face all cultural problems openly, that is free from resentment, social jealousy and from any urge to revenge for not getting the recognition.

All the more a reason to question the assumption of Melina that Greece and Europe is one. If a tautology is to be avoided, and this in recognition that Europe along with a European Union encompassing by now 28 member states is definitely more than just one nation, then also the strive for equality must be understood as an attempt by people like Spyros Mercouris to overcome the economic crisis in cultural terms. For he believes at least in cultural terms Greece is equal with all other nations and member states. Feeling to have been put to shame by the economic woes which started to pile up since 2009, that play on pride and other presumptions about how culture means a certain identity will sidestep the real issues and not come to mediate between cultural and economic realities in Europe.

3. The European added value

Patras 2006 gave the name to this online journal of heritageradio

„Europe must focus on where it can add most value. Where this is not the case, it should not meedle“ - Jose Manuel Barroso

The European added value says something is to be gained both economically and culturally speaking once the European dimension is being fulfilled. Yet a critical reading of the European Union states rather than creating a new value, the EU is nothing but a vast redistribution system which operates behind the backs of the citizens. Many forms of expenditures are hardly accountable, never mind transparent, even if claims and efforts are made to the contrary.

As a matter of fact, the most creative aspect of Europe has been financial control and yet no one can explain why Greece could pile up such a huge deficit and still go unnoticed. There were many warnings issued but as Bob Palmer puts it experts are hardly ever listened to. The explanation must lie, therefore, with a political process enmeshed in a triad of institutional arrangements linking the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission. They negotiate primarily about things which are 'no deal'. Those who know how this mechanism works, know what it means to go through the motions while the real decisions are made elsewhere. These real deals strive amidst a bundle of confusing constellations of positive and negative interests.

Nevertheless EU policy stipulates that once a city has been designated with the title ECoC for one specific year, it should highlight through its cultural programme the European dimension and offer European added value. This is to be done best by „fostering multilateral cooperation between cultural operators at all levels, highlight the richness of cultural diversity and bring the common aspects of European cultures to the fore“

However, cities seeking the title of European Capital of Culture and even once they have it, they are more often confused and therefore unwilling to acknowledge what this means if not literally speaking, then at the very least 'symbolically'. Usually that ends up being something like patchwork with some elements in the programme highlighting having to something vaguely with Europe. When Linz initiated its year, then musicians from different cultures went on a boat down the Danube but the real multicultural aspect of bringing people together to articulate another kind of European identity, that was never realized. Or else Graz. After having failed three times to get the title, they were so relieved once they did get it and in being the only city with the title that year, that things got done because politicians felt the need to respond in the knowledge the world focus was on their city. Yet the slogan is reminiscent of nostalic people who think they have lost their identity in a double sense in the past: when they were young and living in a period much more exciting than what the present seems to offer. The result was that Graz adopted the slogan 'be yourself'. That is not very far away but different from the slogan Aarhus has singled out for 2017. The slogan is called 're-think' and goes along the line of everything being reinvented, including the wheel to make sure a student population is integrated into the city as consumers, innovators and creators of a viable future. Naturally even mayors in Greece go on strike once entry exams to universities, including those in the periphery to Athens, become stiffer, for then not so many students will seek housing possibilities in these provincial towns. In short, culture is primarily perceived as an economic factor and the added value is what extra visitors such a year brings to a city.

A true notion to be applied here is that of a consecutive notion of second guessing as to where precisely impulses come from to give culture a boost and which would allow the city to fulfil the European dimension. Yet ever since Delors has left the Presidency of the European Commission, there prevails a sad record that the European Union has ousted very much the pro European forces or those who could run comprehensive and complex funding programmes with all involved in an ongoing learning process. For instance, Article 10 of the ERDF programme existing from 1997 to 1999 has never been repeated and yet it was one of the most innovative ones since it posed right from the outside a paradox: can culture create jobs and can be prevented at the same time over commercialization leading to destruction of cultural identity? Nowadays all programmes are solely about creativity or smart sustainable development etc. The more vague it gets, the less conclusive shall be whether this particular funding programme shall ever meet and fulfil its targets?

Alone the structural fund would need a thorough evaluation whether or not the prognosis made by the Economist holds. For the Economist ascertained already in 2003 that the Structural Fund would give rise to projects which come into existence only due to the EU funds being provided but without any real need for them they would constitute themselves outside the market and therefore would never sustain themselves over time. Once the EU funds cease, they would disappear as quickly as they had sprung up once the funding opportunity became know. That arbitrariness is frightening to say the least. It means real commitments and the true purchasing power of the Euro are constantly undermined by hidden forms of subsidies, the agricultural budget of the EU an even worse case but which no one wishes to touch for fear of upsetting many vested interests. Still, the set-up seems to give too much leeway to those who are prepared to abuse the EU institutions in whatever form possible. Cynics say simply the European Union is a simple super market where you can walk in to obtain money.

There is no further questioning what are the real needs and interests of Europe as a whole. The compromising nature which constitutes politics, and which has been criticized by Jürgen Habermas and others, makes resolving outstanding issues into an endurance test before any decision is taken. Again Greece and the bail-out strategy illustrates the point Paul Krugman makes in his criticism of Europe just slithering from one crisis to the next as it seems unable to get things right from the start.

Likewise the confusion amongst those who do the evaluation of any bid and appraisal of one year of implementation. There does not seem to to exist substantial knowledge as to what could be cited when wishing to refer to the European dimension and the European Extra Value. Hence it is also difficult to locate a European Capital of Culture within an explicit European context and to establish some criteria as to what kind of contribution a city should make to substantiate this European dimension. Evaluation is definitely weak since it is not asked for a city to contribute to the institution of European Capital of Culture once it has been designated to have the title for one year. Such an institution does not exist, and therefore there is no careful monitoring over time as to what the cities learn from one another and by which they could serve the purpose to ensure a continuity between former, current and future ECoC cities prevails. Only once working together could all these cities if not fulfil, at least touch upon and explain what the European dimension entails.

4. EU Cultural Policy

The legal base for cultural actions: it is claimed that Article 167 (ex article 151) of the Maastricht Treaty gave the EU more competence in cultural matters, but this claim has to be substantiated.

When the EU Constitutional Treaty was drafted, and later rejected in 2005, culture had only secondary competence, while the environment had primary as if climate change and other environmental concerns are cross-border issues, but not culture which so far has been safeguarded by member states to retain their own identity.

This separation of culture and environment has been most disastrous with regards to measures needed to safeguard and to promote cultural landscapes in Europe. All of them are outcomes of an interaction of man with the physical environment and takes on distinct reflections of practices in terms of songs, dances, music etc. and even mythologies of these places. For the very root of myth of Europe can be found in a saying by Virgil, the myth is there to remind people what to do at a certain time of the season. And he concluded if people no longer know how to train horses and cut the olive tree at the right time, then the social and economic cohesion within the territory will break down.

The link between myth and culture has so far not been really understood, even though Hegel would say people without a myth a blind. His political philosophy led to affirm the Prussian state as being the most advanced and enlightened one in Europe at that time, and this for the simple reason, so his wrong conclusion, that its civil servants had to write their dissertations in the Ancient Greek language to signify that they were cultivated. He turned a blind eye to the fact that it was a cruel police state which used culture to mask its real barbaric nature. That theme of Barbarism finds itself being reflected upon insofar as Zbiegniew Herbert gave to his collection of essays about what he experienced while in Greece the title "A Barbarian comes into the Garden". Paradise was always an elusive utopia, and once sought, so the conclusion of Kolokowski, it would merely lead to caricature of a fake unity. Equally has to be understood that culture in Europe needs to resist this turn to functional ideology. It is best done by keeping up the democratic spirit.

As a matter of fact the dilemma of EU Cultural Policy was cleared stated during a debate in the Cultural Committee of the European Parliament in 2000, when a MEP from Spain stated people have the highest expectation in European culture while at the same time it has the weakest possible legal base.

Ever since efforts were made to bring culture in from the margins (Rod Fisher), emphasis was placed upon the EU having an agenda for culture. Once that was in place a clarity of priorities made possible to understand at least in which direction the making of EU Cultural Policy was heading.

As stated on the website of Europedia, "the Culture Programme (2007 to 2013) aims to enhance the cultural area shared by Europeans and based on a common cultural heritage through the development of cultural cooperation between the creators, cultural players and cultural institutions of the countries taking part in the Programme, with a view to encouraging the emergence of European citizenship [Decision 1855/2006, consolidated version 25.12.2008]. The Programme is open to the participation of non-audiovisual cultural industries, in particular small cultural enterprises, where such industries are acting in a non-profit-making cultural capacity. The specific objectives of the Programme are: (a) to promote the transnational mobility of cultural players; (b) to encourage the transnational circulation of works and cultural and artistic products; and (c) to encourage intercultural dialogue. Another programme of EU action provides financial support to organisations active at European level in the field of culture [Decision 792/2004]."

(source: http://www.europedia.moussis.eu/books/Book_2/4/10/03/?all=1)

Clearly the new programme for 2014-2020 will emphasize much more the media / cinema component as the EU Cultural Policy wishes to reinforce the already started trend towards favouring 'Creative and Cultural Industries' when the EU Commission published the related study by KEA in 2007, to prove what value culture has for the economy.

Thus while wishing to strike a balance between the cultural identities of member states, but also of regions within Europe, and the need to have some common base thought to be best obtained by relating to the cultural heritage, likewise a balance has to be struck when linking culture to the EU External relationships:

"The European Union must strike a balance between the objectives arising from the completion of the internal market and those relating to the protection of the national heritage. In fact, a Council Regulation subjects the export outside the EU of cultural goods of artistic, historical or archaeological value to an export licence issued by the Member State on whose territory it is lawfully located [Regulation 116/2009]. In the same vein, a Directive provides for the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State unlawfully removed from the on or after 1 January 1993 [Directive 93/7, consolidated version 30.07.2001]. It notably establishes a judicial procedure for the return of cultural objects and cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States." (op.cit. Europedia)

Given these two dimensions - internal and external - the interrelationship between what shapes the European Union and the programmes adopted by European Capitals of Culture reflects only partially the EU Cultural Policy. For cultural policy adopted by political authorities at local and regional levels is one of a short history and therefore it is difficult to say what shall influence its future development. One tendency is believed to be coming to the fore, and that is based on the interest and willingness of cities to engage themselves much more in giving shape to their own international relationships. This may be a result of the global economy pressing down on any city regardless whether within or not the European Union. Also cities do not find necessarily a voice at European level to express their own needs and to address policy options. Certainly they adopt specific EU guidelines as this means a certain funding possibility and especially if the city is linked directly to national policy e.g. Malta has declared as National Policy Priority the promotion of the Cultural and Creative Industries and therefore Valletta 2018 while preparing in the years ahead has decided to focus especially on the film and media industry as strong component of such a new sector in the making. Still, the Creative and Cultural Industry priority was already a major point on the cultural programme of Ruhr 2010 and reflects much more a common trend rather than seeking a unique identity linked to a culture proving able to preserve a continuity over time by connecting past, present and future.

One clear expression as to where and how everything can be brought together, provided it is done well and with thought through concepts, are the European Capitals of Culture. It allows for a transformation of the economic structure in combination with an urban renewal programme while ensuring through culture a balance is maintained between free living spaces and commercial areas. Naturally the cultural concept which is finally chosen, shall reflect as to where the major funds come from to finance cultural activities in a sustainable way in future, and especially after the magical year is over. Most cities rely on an improved image which leads to a greater attraction best registered in the number of people coming to visit and to stay overnight in the city. Variations thereof are made evident by adding new notions of cultural tourism. This can include as was intended by Patras 2006 and realized in Liverpool a conference tourism. Cultural venues and a renewed accessibility which suits the needs of contemporary travellers of all kinds can add an external dimension to what is otherwise local and contemporary life in the city. Not always the perception of needs coincide with the need for free spaces to unfold creatively especially after some major and massive urban interventions have been made. Common are the flagship type of projects i.e. cultural centre. Preferred are former industrial sites which can be spectacular once refurbished. This line of approach has been initiated by Glasgow and was further reinforced by Liverpool to become somewhat a leading model when it comes to link culture / artistic and creative activities with urban regeneration.

However, the latter does not prevent the negative impacts manifested in gentrification and a loss of cultural diversity due to venues becoming over expensive and thereby driving out the very life which had been created by artists and others who prefer to work in the incomplete rather than in the clinical perfect environment. A good example for this is the painter Francis Bacon who had build for him a perfect new atelier but once he stepped inside, he could not stand it for but a few days. He had to move back to his old ateliers which was in shambles with plenty of things lying idle around but there he could feel the inspiration to paint human faces as if exposed to years of decay.

Still, many cities will want to give it a try to implement EU Cultural Policy in a novel, unique way and therefore they try for the title. But what Bart Verschaffel said after his experiences as coordinator of literature when Antwerp was European Capital of Culture in 1993, still holds today insofar as all cities desire to have the title but few know what to do once they have received the designation. The outcome is rather a kind of compromise between the original aspirations which were expressed in the bid and the compromises and fault lines enforced by multiple stories of disappointments and hurt feelings most often due to a lack of good communication. Naturally the biggest disappointment comes when cities are on the final short list but then do not make it whether that is the case in Poland and Spain when Wroclaw and San Sebastian were selected for 2016 or else when three cities competed in the final round but Leeuwarden got the designation for 2018. It joins Valletta in Malta but that city had no other city to compete with, and only had to face the jury which gave nevertheless some good and sound advice when realizing there are several weaknesses in the approach adopted by Valletta having subscribed itself to the logo 'image 18'.

5. Learning out of failure

Katowice 2016 advising prior to the meeting with the Jury, but did not make it

Most of the cities which do not get the designation have either not captured the meaning of the European dimension or else the citizens of their respective city were not sufficiently involved and therefore not behind the bid. Naturally there are many other criteria set forth by the European Commission to make sure the best possible candidate city is selected, but then it depends on multiple factors as to which city gets finally the designation. Likewise the failure of cities which did get the designation of the title, but fulfilled neither of the two criteria most essential for being a European Capital of Culture has to be explained.

Those who do not get the title although they have worked extremely hard for it, they are often at a loss as to why their bid did not make it. The latest disappointment has been made by Eindhoven in Holland which lost out to Leuuwarden. It was already a huge surprise that Utrecht did not make it into the short list. Such disappointments can only be transformed into a learning experience, if the real reasons for not making it are explained to them. Otherwise there will remain doubt if the Jury had been really fair to all candidate cities as initially claimed would be the case to ensure a fair competition.

For instance, after Eindhoven had lost in the final round and realized not to have made it for 2018, the organizers could not really explain to themselves the reason why. They were convinced to have made a good bid. They based this assumption on the fact that their bid addressed the question how this one special year could give cultural substance to the true nature what Europe is all about. For this purpose they developed many novel ideas linked to cultural cooperation between communities. Citizens were inspired and engaged themselves while preparing for the final bid. All the more the set back and to realize once the bid failed, the money earmarked for culture was withdrawn immediately by the Municipal Council.

Such an experience leaves many out on a limb. It is difficult to climb back, so to speak, and assume a normal, everyday life. This is because the prospect of being European Capital of Culture sets free till then unknown energies. This is made possible by people not only engaging themselves, but participating with all their imaginations and in being focused on future prospects. To tap into such wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm is not something to be encountered in normal times when people follow their own path but without a sense of a collectivity, for doing something for the whole community and for the benefit of the city as a whole. Also with such life changing experiences goes an optimism that things can be improved because culture gives quite another access to a path which helps find solutions because people learn to talk openly but also free from the usual political fights in a more practical way. This is because the discourse seems to connect the individual to overall projects in the making, and then everyone can anticipate showing any future visitor around the town with new eyes because there is a lot more to be seen and to be experienced.

This kind of remapping of the imaginary space in which to move in has been a key to the success of many European Capitals of Culture, and equally the disappointment when from one day to the next reality kicks in so to speak. Gdanks in Poland had this notion of wishing to continue this intense collaboration but it is hard when there is no formal recognition given in the final end to all these efforts.

Eindhoven was left wondering what were really the priorities of the Jury. They asked what did they not interpret correctly while going through the entire bidding process. Naturally some reasons can be suggested like an oversized budget which made it appear as if wishing to buy oneself into the title. Certainly Leeuwarden is by comparison tiny, and a town on the fringes of main stream culture in Holland, but precisely that might have made the Jury think it is time to give an outsider, a relatively unknown location, much more focus as even these cultures on the fringes deserve attention. Equally Eindhoven had an artistic director who stated right from the start he would only stay till the bid has been made. In other words, the very fact that the person responsible for the artistic concept and cultural programme would not stay to see it through meant no gurantee for a continuity if the title would have been granted to Eindhoven. Still, for any appraisal and to be fair to the Jury, it would be important to study their final evaluation report in which they give reason for having selected Leeuwarden over the other two candidate cities, namely Maastricht and Eindhoven.

Learning out of failure is altogether a huge challenge. Often the necessary learning does not take place because the cultural dimension has been missing in the first place. This cultural dimension should not be confused with what the criterion of the European Dimension entails. The latter is based much more on a notion of success stories linked to the simple notion of making money. Public funds are used but to a limited degree. The EU offers only 1.5 million by awarding the Melina Mercouri Prize while the budget of cities can swell into huge sums ranging anywhere from 60 to 80 million. Still, if taxpayers' money is being used, a prime need is that this project should not cost more and thereby overburden the taxpayers. The cities which ended up with a financial deficit and therefore obliged the city to manage its finances under great difficulties once the year was over are not deemed to be a success. There come to mind immediately such examples as Thessaloniki 1997 and Patras 2006, but also when Copenhagen was ECoC, it had the largest budget in the whole history and ended up with a gaping financial hole.

What makes the ECoC story so interesting, equally challenging is that it offers an opportunity to handle the money question differently. Marseille 2013 offered, for instance, the historical opportunity to implement a cultural concept which is compatible with the family and rural type of business enterprises known as being a part of the Mediterranean culture. It would have meant not to make spectacular events linked to symbolic icons of new buildings, but to ease the pain between small financial outlooks and still a sense of aesthetics which is, however, to a large extent an unfulfilled dream. Instead Marseille opted for the symbolic iconic buildings like the Museum of Civilization from Europe and Mediterranean, and thus required sponsorship money which will use different, more visible criteria to assess if it has any meaning to give large sums of money. Money wants to have something visible, while a qualitative concept of culture works in reality quite differently with the notion of money. That cultural difference in handling money should have been brought out by Marseille. In part, Ulrich Fuchs justified the programme insofar as it was designed to offer a lot free of charge since the overall population was quite poor and hence could not afford to attend expensive events.

Still, to discuss the link between money and success or failure of any ECoC city, something else has to be introduced and may that be the criterion of health. For what sustains life is also a healthy environment with happiness and outlook for new experiences two of the most ingredients. Culture has to be something which prompts people to go out and mingle in the crowd. Many ECoC cities seem to succeed in that sense as the city becomes a stage. It makes possible that people experience themselves in a new context. That is often linked to novel and often outstanding street performances and which can alter the active life in the city, In Marseille alone the huge mirror as something to walk under can transform already urban space.

Mirror in Marseille during 2013

Of interest is here what Valletta realized when preparing its bid to be ECoC in 2018, namely that the youth of today needs a freedom to fail. If they are not given that cultural space, they will never learn. They would be condemned to the need to succeed even if means achieving this by whatever, and even often doubtful means, morally speaking. That includes using connections and privileges their parents may have, but which puts them into an unfair position of advantage vis a vis others. The dependency of having a proven track record whenever they apply for a job does not make life any easier. For many jobs and tasks prove to be hard because they go against one main criterion, namely honesty to oneself. The youth knows no one is perfect but still they have ideals which can easily be disappointed. How then to articulate their short comings while getting a chance to prove themselves, that mix is often not handled well at school, at home or in the work place. And the places of socialization like clubs are not the best places to encounter stimulating thoughts and challenges which would take them a step further in realizing what they want to do and how to go about it in achieving such a goal. It says it all when youth caught in the trap of unemployment and dismal prospects to get even a chance to make such experiences which allow them to develop further as a human being decide to turn their back on society and dismiss consequently any suggestion they could do better than merely linger around.

Modern society has established a very sharp cutting edge of success. Compared to the failure to make the bid, there is also the failure of a city to seize upon the historical opportunity given by having received the designation of the title. Many factors can contribute to such a failure:

although the criteria for getting the title are clearly stated, most cities miss out on the European dimension due to a failure of having no substantial citizens' participation. Naturally street festivals can count as a form of participation and is often included as a success criterion when nearly 500 000 people show up for the opening as was the case in Marseille with Lille often praised as having achieved something likewise, but to what extent masses of people can form active audiences for specific artistic events and sustain that interest over time, that is another matter. Some research has been going in that direction to find out what local people do get out of the entire year, but then these studies are hardly ever done in depth with regards to artistic and cultural impulses having been translated into new works of art or else new appreciations of the role culture plays in the life of a city. Seeing things differently and getting to know other people may open up horizon but a real test for Ruhr 2010 was whether with the help of the arts a transition could be made from an industrial and mining age into the information society requiring quite a different set of skills.
Usually there is a general failure to realize an artistic – cultural programme due to the absence of an artistic director who has the support of the mayor but who is independent from political influence. Otherwise political interference ruins any artistic concept. There is the story of Eric Antonis in Antwerp '93 who only accepted the role of artistic director once he was assured that he could hire his own people. Likewise Bob Palmer had success due to the strong and unconditional backing of the mayor of Glasgow, and again when he took over in Brussels. The latter case was nothing but a miracle since he had to have the backing of 18 mayors and municipalities, but it worked. Generally speaking, the artistic director finds himself in an ejection seat and anything going wrong can quickly be blamed on him. There is little space given for the kind of real cultural experiments which shall fail if only to learn what is possible. Cafe 9 in 2000 connected eight of the nine cities and showed the limits of the Internet available then to transport complex artistic images. That was work at the technological frontier at that time and the IT companies learned a lot from artists and project participants testing the limits of the information system available at that time.
Aside from some symbolical exchanges, there is a failure to be noted when it comes to make a link between other cities which have been ECoC in the past or else shall be in future. That continuity of learning has been broken by seeking only the new and thereby adopting a managerial approach rather than a cultural one. That was started with Liverpool '08 and Ruhr 2010. They have not realized today what damage they created by breaking up the ECCM Network. Now informal networks co-exist with some not knowing really who else is engaged in a similar way. Instead leading models are blindly reproduced as some have the financial means to promote their approach e.g. Liverpool '08 and its Institute of Cultural Capitals. The influence exerted means a special agenda is being pushed which foresees ever more urban regeneration types of making use of the title with little artistic or cultural content to speak about.
Once no memory is kept of the many failures made along the way, but only success story over dominate to make a good impression, then all events appear to be the same. Only few will leave some trace, if any at all. They pass by like fire works. This is mainly due to the entire programme having adopted the kind of festival style which serve the purpose of all types of small and large sized businesses but which have no particular interest in culture. They only enter the process to earn some extra money.
Once culture is reduced to single messages and only used to serve substantial business interest by advancing the marketing chances of the city, then communication about the events will take place within the Facebook / social media village and incorporate culture as a way to seek over exploitation by over identification with some hyped up event. The artificial importance given to these events will create huge gaps in the following years as no real interest was generated in that brand name except when the world attention was focused on that city. Still, the claims of every city sound similar when they speak about their legacy and mean only the number of visitors coming still to the city.
All that is far removed from a real interest as to what is happening to culture and cultural institutions throughout Europe e.g. the closing down of museums, theatres, or the failure to do the necessary public investments to ensure the archives are able to keep up with the digitalization need of cultural heritage.
The budget of these cities reflect the greater importance given to Public Relations exercises – expenditures are to the average of 20% of the overall budgets which can reach 80 million.
Bob Palmer criticizes that official reports about how ECoC fared during this one year are reduced to being spin doctor reports not reflecting the true successes and failures of the one year. public relations exercises. Since the European Commission hardly challenges this, real issues are not named or covered up in a way to make the year appear to be ust one big success story. Of interest is that the Jury does name real issues but the response on the part of the city and its organization being addressed hardly responds as neither the Commission or the Jury have any formal power. The only means they do have is not to grant the Melina Mercouri prize. So far in the history of European Capitals of Culture, the title has never been reinvoked or the Melina prize not granted. That means culture has become a political good of a certain compromise and this stands in contradiction to culture becoming only then substantial when no compromise is made with regards to safeguarding human dignity and artistic freedom.

One disturbing element in all of this is the increasing use of modern propaganda like tricks to cover up failures. Basically the European Commission is engaged in finding proof that its policy measures work and therefore is not willing to hear anything to the contrary. This has given rise to a very critical article about the new forms of propaganda in which the EU Commission engages in. See Andrew Higgins, „It's 'go along to get along' in Brussels“. Significantly it was published in the last edition of the International Herald Tribune on 14.10.2013 since the next day that famous name was replaced by "the International New York Times".

Studies of failure

Regime building in Thessaloniki 1997 – in a letter to Hatto Fischer on 19. Jan. 2012 the following statemement was made by A. Mantatzis

"For me, shared values could be a central point to focus on and around it the theme city-culture-sustainability could be deployed. As I highlighted in my work about Thessaloniki '97 European Cultural Capital, the shared values or vision around economic development was the main motivation for local elites to establish cooperation." By not find that necessary sharing of values, he explains why Thessaloniki failed in learning ahead of time on how to avoid mistakes. For the type of coalition or regime which was created to implement the programme was not so much a cohesive organisational body, but was constituted by different interest groups not creating one responsible institution for the implementation of the process. See: http://poieinkaiprattein.org/economy/greek-economy-2/ccis-in-greece-in-reference-to-the-structural-fund-2007-2009-by-anestis-mantatzis/
Sadly enough the third Greek city to be European Capital of Culture was also a tremendous failure. No real preparation started until the Olympic Games were over in August 2004, but clearly virtually one year is not enough to prepare a city. To this were added many kinds of infights. Alexis Alatsis, the artistic director who came in late, that is in January 2006, that is when the decisive year had already started, attempted to salvage what he could. He came up with the solution that Patras 2006 would consider the European dimension to be nothing short of 'Europe under construction'. Still, the question has to be posed as to why the advise of Bob Palmer was not heeded when he recommended to the EU Commission that the title should be revoked from Patras, or why the university of Patras was virtually left outside and only in the exhibition by Spyros Mercouris it had a modest role to play, insofar as students volunteered to service the online exhibition “20 years of history”? Patras 2006 did not heed what became a must for Bob Scott in Liverpool 2008, namely to have a proper communication concept in place. Since the main Greek media is located in Athens as is the case with the UK with most media outlets, including the BBC in London, an all out effort has to be made to draw the attention of the media to what is going on in Patras. Otherwise no one will take notice and then the negative conclusion is drawn nothing is heard, ergo nothing must be taking place and therefore it must be a failure.
During the Pecs conference, there was presented an interesting paper by James Kenyon about gangs in Liverpool, and not really focused upon by the official organization for Liverpool 2008. This study contains an alternative view of culture with some patterns being established by means of an ethnological research. To come closer to the gangs, James Kenyon joined a local football team and noticed how this prevents many youth from going on a drinking binge just like the parents and adults they dismiss come the weekend. Caught between a poverty of experience and a strongly ritualized life, gang culture says they do not form as of yet a criminal organization with its own code, but it does use a tightly knit sense of community to hold together. Crucial is use of dirty or hard language which masks deeper emotions or is a way to show affection by using the slave language. The latter is defined by a curse meaning praise and vice versa praise a curse. The study demonstrates a failure as to what official or main stream culture does not touch upon nor does it seem interested in developing models of integrating those. Presumably the conventional cultural tools deployed by top down managers of cultural programmes cannot reach this youth living outside of conventional and traditional spheres of influence urban society may have and exert over time through various institutions, and thus could demonstrate the failure of these cultural institutions if not linked to that language used by those integrated into gangs and not society. See James Kenyon, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool: ‘Youth gangs and the value of sport in the 2008 European Capital of Culture’ (ppt)
The example given by John Bennett as a theatre creating its own audience outside the official programme has been cited already. See John Bennett (2008) Answering to the Audience: Opportunities and Tensions in Popular Theatre Programming with particular reference to the Royal Court Liverpool and the 2008 European Capital of Culture. Editor: Wim Coudenys, Proceedings of the Second Annual Conference of the University Network of European Capitals of Culture, Liverpool 16/17 October 2008
The criticism of Ruhr 2010 made before the actual year pointed out the importance of paying attention to details but this was not heeded. Also disputed was the claim by the organizers that they do not stand to learn from experiences made by previous ECoC cities. This emphasis upon the new reflects the typical managerial approach to which Ruhr 2010 added the professor's handling of knowledge in an organizational context known too well to be a specific German one i.e. academic knowledge being a part of the educational elite which excludes automatically those not educated in a similar way. The criticism was made during a discussion in Bochum in 2009. See Perspektiven von Hatto Fischer Bochum 2009

Also further criticism was levelled after the final report was published by Ruhr 2010, see Evaluation of Ruhr 2010
A general thesis as to policy failures can be the fact that the tendency towards an 'experience economy' to capitalize on the new media means in fact a new kind of poverty of experience not only at individual but above all at policy level with disastrous results for both the economy and society. Repeatedly Michael D. Higgins would claim culture is wider than the economy and therefore should not be reduced to being only then recognized and accepted if culture has value for the economy. Likewise governmental policy cannot be reduced to the magic three: fiscal and monetary policy along with structural reform. For the reasons why see Hatto Fischer, Poiein kai Prattein – NGO, Athens: Poverty of Experience – a real cultural challenge (ppt)

6. ECoC: a success story?

It is said Liverpool '08 was a success. The same is claimed by Graz 2003. Others like Brugge look back in 2012 and evaluate what legacy there remains from that special year when the city was EcoC in 2002.

In many cases, success is measured in number of visitors, events held, projects realized, but Liverpool has added, for instance, change of the city from a negative to a positive image. Given some insights into how the media works, clever communication strategies can make that into a convincing argument and it becomes in no time a self fulfilling prophecy.

It is like a positive myth. If that city is said to be a good experience, many people will go there to have a good time and indeed by having this positive anticipation, they end up going home with a sense of having spend a good time while in that city. Still, the notion of a good experience is difficult to gauge and in any case it is still subject to many different interpretations, most of them highly subjective.

Indeed success is a complex term. More precisely it has to be noticed that the cutting edge of success has become increasingly sharper. The contradictions within a global world leave as many stranded as those having money retain many dangerous illusions of being so successful, that they do not need to care any longer about others. Forgotten is the advise of Keynes even when one has attained a level of financial success, it does not mean one has to stop thinking economically. The latter has to do with rare resources to be used carefully to make a decent life possible for everyone.

As easy it is to formulate this demand, as hard it is to do justice to the complex reality which has been building and rebuilding itself all around everyone. In Greece youth unemployment has reached levels beyond 50% while in Spain, Portugal but also in Germany the frantic search for a decent job means to confront hardships in life from an early age. For to be without money leaves few options. As one person in Athens puts it, scarcity of money can be coped with by making all kinds of saving by not going so many times to the movies or shopping as much as one did in the past, but not to be able to travel, that lack of freedom she used to enjoy in the past, that is hard to take.

Due to this cutting edge many more people are hurt and their pain does not go away by pointing towards those who seem to be able to make it and even in some cases claim some fame. In the latter case cheap television and all sorts of other shows lure people into vanity fair and then it is nothing but a pure self show with little else to show.

It seems as if culture is dragged into a world of entertainment known to follow quite other business practices. Kant put it well when saying thinking of a deep philosophical kind is constantly hurt by the way business people tend to think. This difference has been silenced by simply denying philosophy and human thought. People are more careful what they say since everything is at risk if they dare to be too outspoken. As a result something takes place which cannot be described solely by silence taking over. Rather what happens in the economic world with the rich getting ever richer while the poor not only stay poor but are becoming increasingly poorer, is a collective succumbing to the logic of misery and of not caring. The only answer to this dilemma is 'we shall see'. No commitment to put up a fight for democracy as advocated the economist Robert W. Parenteau of the Levy Institute at Brand College in the USA. He is of the opinion that a model can only be so good and effective, if there is a will to put democracy into practice. In Greece this would apply to such areas as tax evasion.

In Greece, it is said by 2014 30% are at risk to be at poverty line even though the Greek government claims for the year ahead that outlooks have improved so much that some economic growth can be expected (0,6%). Yet if success is linked to economic growth, then it is but a vague term.

Current rhetoric does not link culture to the key criteria of economic growth, but focuses more specifically on what the question what value has culture for the economy. That explains why primarily the Cultural and Creative Industries are of interest since they can deliver tangible proof of that value. Not surprisingly the new EU Cultural programme for the funding period 2014-2020 carries the title 'Creative Europe'. Creativity used to be a very special term hardly capturing the imagination of people, never mind of politicians but in today's world this ingredient is used as a major factor to suggest modern economy depends upon people becoming ever more innovative and creative. It is linked to the new concept of 'experience economy' most commonly used in tourism but relates naturally as well to the media and entertainment industry. That is why the cinema industry seems to be a much preferred target of new cultural policies e.g. Valletta 2018 shall devote itself very much to building up the infrastructure for such an industrial branch. It begins with story telling and script writing but naturally does not end there. Still, some realistic assessment would need to be made to evaluate if that has a chance to make it since Malta has the reputation of being quite expensive and therefore is shunned by film studies always on the look out for production and filming sites which do not cost as much in comparison to others.

In reality, economic growth is used like a magic wand as in a Harry Potter film and which can resolve everything. Especially in times of strict austerity measures due to policy makers being focused solely on reducing public debt, this magic wand is waved repeatedly and according goes the criticism of current policy. The latter is, however, the result of a crisis in economic theory and therefore has produced a poverty of experience with regards to how best to handle the economy. All what the crisis has done is to justify measures which roll back almost all Rights the workers and employees had achieved through social dialogue over the past hundred years and to cut wages, pensions and many other benefits. And even while incomes are reduced, economists fear more deflation and inflation as if ever higher prices can be afforded by those who have little or no income.

Economic growth does not serve the purpose of achieving social justice and cultural cohesion, but aims to increase the purchasing power of those who possess all the wealth. Thus if a European Capital of Culture claims to have achieved through this special year a noticeable growth in numerous branches, but in particular in the service industry which includes hotels and the entire tourism sector, then it is a claim of economic viability which has been brought about by cultural means. Never mind then the capacity a city has to take in so many tourists, or as in the case of Venice so many huge cruise ships, the direction is always towards 'more people, more business, more money'. To manage all this, and it is a managerial task, it becomes an urgent matter how not to let a place be overrun or be transformed so much that it loses all its originality and meaning of place. Some cities do not seek the title because they resist the temptation of having to transform themselves into just another show case of success when the costs involved in such a transformation are not really named or brought to bear when an evaluation is made.

If the flow of money is manipulated in such a way so as to increase the purchasing power, it means an attempt is made to have command over these rare resources which are designated by culture e.g. old churches, open fields, a left temple, children acting theatre while playing in the streets, dancers showing new forms of expression as part of the dancing theatre etc. Language, and in particular poetry and literature, are also treasures just as are the paintings, sculptures, installations and films. They have all different qualities but also some common elements. For artistic activity gives value to both materials and people's experiences. They do so in different ways than what is commonly made of a production process with a definite outcome whether now a yoghurt or a car. Given modern society, economy and culture have become despite the classical separation of pleasure and work quite intricate, insofar as design of a car and the skills of advertisement to sell the product use aesthetical principles to get the message across. But what is a success on the economic side when products are sold at high profits, but the failure to safeguard the environment and to give to people a chance for a decent life not realized? It is a failure to stop over commercialization from destroying still further cultural identities and cultural heritages.

Power should not be given solely to the economy and thereby to all the successful models within that sphere of influence. That would allow these specific economic norms to be forced upon the rest of the population. They are applied to uphold such a purchasing power which makes the distinction between income and wealth into such a discriminatory tool with the rich clinging onto power while those at the bottom of the scale shall never get out of the poverty trap. This system brings the wealthy with extra purchasing power at their disposal into the reach of still further resources. They acquire property and other forms of wealth over and beyond what any normal human being needs. Just like poverty, the wealth accummulation can become a vicious cycle.

All this has something to do with how culture is used to negate the development of any alternative to such a system. First of all, tax evasion is done often legally by the wealthy insofar as they have through their influence put tax exemption laws in place. Hence as a social norm, paying taxes can be linked to honesty but also to the concept of state and type of governance. The latter can be linked to social justice and obliges the state to ensure a fair distribution of resources. In Ancient Greece democracy meant cutting as well the power of the wealthy before they get too powerful. If everyone accepts this norm, then it would mean that another binding power rules society. If that is cultural consensus, then it is not of a moral compulsive nature which is behind a law, but the existence of a consensus would make it to be an effective norm. It would be based on a cultural insight able to bring people together rather than keeps them apart. Secondly, social justice entails more than simply overcoming material discrepancies between the rich and the poor. For justice can also mean someone working hard would like to obtain a greater reward. Compensation is linked to motivation and that in turn follows recognition of doing a good job. Naturally all these chances can be given to any individual through good education and through a kind of socialization which does not question the person's integrity and ability to judge what is just or not for him or her. Rather it is through a cultural vision and literacy which links the practical judgement to how society decides to respond. Mediation shall be required to figure out what are the adequate terms in order to come to terms with these challenges caused by imbalances and neglected persons existing at the margins of society.

Here a reminder can be given as to what happened to Berlin after 1945 and before the wall came down in 1989. It may further understanding of this precarious situation once a city is no longer a cultural hub able to bring everyone together. That transformation towards fictitious separation between the rich and poor started in Berlin long before 1989 when the wall came down. A good indication of this transition was that it was no longer desirable after 1981 to share the same table. Till then all were the same because trapped inside the wall. So once the trend started to distinguish oneself from the other by having simply 'more', that sense of equality related to solidarity started to disappear. As long as Berlin was divided and West Berlin literally surrounded by the wall, everyone was more or less equal regardless of family background and economic status. But then came the elections of 1981 when Richard von Weizsäcker won to represent the house owners in their wish to fight off the squatter movement. Suddenly social divisions and status symbols became important ingredients in the life of the city. This division has become ever sharper once the wall fell and old factories made way for luxurious lofts and expensive passages. This latest development is even threatening the reputation of Berlin as being an open and creative city.

Success measured in terms of being able to integrate everyone on the basis of some material and social equality would imply quite a different cultural life would fill the city. Creative hubs are difficult to create but once they exist, there is a hum in the air due to lively discussions. These hubs become important orientations since they facilitate far reaching decisions based on principles of solidarity and creativity. It reflects what life is worth living for. This confirms as well the findings by Nicole Immler who would link success to the fact that the ethical foundation of the city has been secured. Such a success would be sustainable if it can be renewed by every new art movement provided the culture of the city knows on what it is based upon. Equally decision makers and investors would not jeopardize this prime surplus often called in daily life 'the freedom to be able to live with the benefit of doubt'.

Since ECoC years have become multi complex undertakings, there is by now in place a wide range of criteria which have to be fulfilled if success with a positive legacy can be secured. Here are but a few examples being recommended and discussed as the story of ECoC cities evolves over time:

Complexity is itself a key element to attain sustainable development (see Cultura 21), yet the cultural aspect thereof is how to make things simple and beautiful as as to be accessible to people while they ensure that the city contributes to a culture of sustainability
Bob Palmer/ Greg Richards (2004) singled out one important factor in view of many people coming to the city and local residents eager to join in, and that is the art of audience building. This is not a simple undertaking but requires an informal-formal institutionalization of supporters of various branches of the arts. It means transforming the visitor in the crowd into an active participant who responds to well informed criticism and shall via social media search for further clues to be informed. Audiences for theatre and films differ from those wishing to attend live music performances, and they still differ from the football fans who stay loyal to the team of their city. Naturally many other sub cultures create groups which can be distinguished from another by taste, the clothes they wear, what they prefer. These profiles are being looked into by consulting firms making out potential consumers but for cultural events audiences sustain themselves as well through special journals and sharing of all kinds of files about these dancers or musicians. Naturally this cultural receptivity side is changing rapidly while there are remnants still virulent as to what distinguishes high from low culture with far reaching implications as to who will attend compared to those who exclude themselves by thinking they are not included in anything having to do with the cultural elite.
By including the regional aspect, Lille 2004 managed to attract many more people which helped to make it into such a huge success that everyone wants to go on and start preparing for Lille 2030.
Patras 2006 went ahead despite all warnings and became a true failure. Today no venue reminds of that year when Patras was ECoC for all those which had been used were turned over to private hands and which have re-used these spaces for commercial purposes. As to the theatre which was built at that time, it has a roof which leaks and therefore has never operated fully. Today it remains closed.
Liverpool 2008 attempted to tell its story of success to put the numbers in context. It has become a most advocated method for doing evaluation reports with the Institute of Cultural Capitals the prime base for this orientation. In real terms what remains in memory besides staging the Beatles, was the mechanical spider which went through the streets. A key concept for the future has been conference tourism to elevate the number of visitors coming to the city onto another sphere of interaction with the city. The overall success is due to carefully orchestrated PR strategy with Bob Scott putting a lot of emphasis on good communication. This included him going down to London to speak with people at BBC to make sure media coverage of the events in Liverpool was secured. Since then most ECoC cities follow suit best indicated insofar as most cities spend about 20% of their budget on PR purposes. Marketing of the city has become a prime goal and measure of success.
Linz 2009 did not really use Ars Electronica for Communication purposes although this institute is internationally renown for its excellent work in the field of media art. A real question here is how a highly problematic past was dealt with and meant by this was Hitler's intention to make Linz into a cultural capital. This question was dealt with in an exhibition held one year before the official one and then no more. Although some signs thereof were included in street art along especially the bridges to mark those who vanished, and this in a similar way as those stumbling stones in the pavement, it cannot be said of Linz to have dealt with this contradiction in an explicit way as did, for example, Weimar by contrasting Goethe / Schiller with the existence of the concentration camp Buchenwald just outside of Weimar. There was the incidence of the NGO which wanted to produce a multi-cultural Linzer Torte and Ulrich Fuchs refusing to give money unless they open up a cafe with commercial orientation. The NGO refused since they did not intend to become a commercial group operating a cafe. The free art scene was enraged and a lot of criticism was levelled at the management of the Linz team. After that incidence the free art scene did not recover from this simple failure to evoke an adjustment in the allocation of resources and thus went thereafter for the rest of the year silent. Tanja Brandmayr, editor of a journal of the Free Art Scene published around that time, speaks of the need for the arts to ensure a sustainability of criticism. Ulrich Fuchs is now in Marseille and speaks again of the opposition to the official programme but praises them for their lively website and thus attempts to deal with this opposition in fair and democratic terms but without addressing really the very reason for the existence of such an opposition. Rather he would say after his experience this seems to be a common feature of every ECoC city. It shows the political method behind such an atittude insofar as opposition and any criticism will be either squashed or else circumvented if not otherwise sidelined. But it is never acknowledged what mistake was been made in the first place when not dealing with the questions of the arts and culture in an open and fair way.
The three cities in 2010, namely Ruhr 2010, Pecs, Istanbul wanted to create intercultural cooperation within their respective triangle as it would have been an opportunity to go beyond the Bosporos and seek a new orientation for Europe. Although some projects were realized along those lines, it is, however, not really certain what had been either achieved or at least initiated during that one decisive year of 2010.
After that decisive year Ruhr 2010 started to go international as if wishing to capitalize on its success and therefore began to propagate the experiences which had been made. For it meant opening up the area to international attention. The Ruhr area had been declining and thus new architectural feats in reuse of industrial sites was one outstanding feature, Another was this experiment to bring together cities which had been competing till then. It was done by giving each city central stage for one week throughout that one year. However, many of these cities were not really prepared for that and here is where details matter. For instance, six famous writers were brought to one of these 53 towns and no one there knew what to do with them. As Bob Palmer recommended the implementation of a cultural programme requires a careful build up of audiences. By going now international, but in reality leaning on the Goethe Institutes expressing German interests and propagating iconic elements of German culture, it is not a European dimension being convey but a specific national cultural orientation. Still, these activities to secure the legacy of Ruhr 2010 as well in international fields is part of a trend which Ferdinand Richard calls a growing 'diplomacy of influence' undertaken by cities and regions. Still, the Goethe Institute acts abroad by seeking to influence decision makers in the host country and not creating an open inter generational audience. The latter is much more the case with the Institute Francaise, at least in Athens, Greece. Ruhr 2010 has established according to Jürgen Mittag an archive while writers like Ernst Käbisch undertake journeys through the Ruhr area to see what legacy has been left behind on the ground.

Example 1: Every city is evaluated after the year is over to assess the success

Evaluation of the European Capitals of Culture in 2012, Guimarães (Portugal) and Maribor (Slovenia)

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/20130809-ecoc2012-evaluation_en.htm

The final report of the external ex-post evaluation of the 2012 European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) is available on-line now.

The evaluation report considers the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of having been ECoC throughout their “life-cycle”; from the preparation of their application, through the designation and development phase and up to the completion of their cultural programmes at the end of the title year. Consideration is also given to their likely sustainability and legacy.

Success is indicated by establishing that money has been spend wisely so that real investments in culture are done not only for the short, but equally for the long run. Graz constructed finally a concert venue which had been blocked due to much in fighting for years. Thus success can be claimed if for the benefit to make a difference in the life of the city.

Yet a true success is not achieved by giving to people merely hope, for that would mean but to resign, but to live is not to resign, said Albert Camus. This courage to live can be given if the year has truly inspired people to do precisely this, namely to live consciously. Success is then if something new emerges and upholds at the same time the very cultural values which make possible human relationships. Such a success can inevitable be a change to the benefit of all.

7. No easy task - measures to come

However, what makes the realization of the European project so difficult is hardly appreciated for it is not easy to name the vulnerable spots while not succumbing to a simple anti-Europe position. Equally what matters the most is that the impact of the European Union cannot be described alone in economic terms. For this undertaking has an impact as well upon the 'soul of Europe'. This is best expressed by Frederique Chabaud in the form of an appreciation what it takes to realize such a project:

"This is a very ambitious project and I only know a few people able to govern and lead such a long-term path. It is no easy task, not now and certainly not in the future, but certainly a very challenging one for the intellect and to some extent - the soul. It needs to arise such a communication that can allow people to think further and be ahead: well, this is really what cultural cooperation with "European added value" is about, isn't it? This needs a very careful monitoring as well, as this idea could be parcalized, "verfremdet" and taken away. I imagine the task of acceptance, conviction still ahead.” (Frederique Chabaud, Letter 2003, unpublished)

Alone in this short paragraph a lot is mentioned. It is worthy to be kept in mind when appraising ECoC cities and criticizing the European Union in the making. For the ability to govern depends upon a long term vision. That is in part provided by cities knowing five years in advance when it shall be their turn to carry this title for one year. But it is no easy task, as would say as well Ancient Greek poets. The challenge is to both the intellect and to the soul and depends on good communication. Too often important impulses go astray. Above all she gives importance to a special kind of monitoring, and this would mean safeguarding the idea as envisioned originally by Melina Mercouri for it can be easily hijacked and transformed into something else, if her reference to 'Verfremdung' is taken up as being as well a matter of conviction in the idea that working with culture can succeed. And since this conviction to work together with artists is not a given, a lot of work lies still ahead. It is a most realistic resume of what both the European project and a year of being European Capital of Culture entails.

Ideas about the city

Another way to see the tasks ahead is to trace where the ideas / concept for a city's bid came from and then follow these ideas as they are modified after the designation of the title by what happens during the process of implementation. Of equal interest is how in retrospect these ideas re-emerge as if the immersion gave them a new outlook on life.

Those who initiated the application on behalf of Pecs for 2010 departed from Walter Benjamin. It meant they wished to link the city to the notion of the passages as a special urban space in which certain figures make their appearances. Ever since Adorno exchanges letters with Benjamin while the latter was writing on his book, there remains the philosophical question what figures of speech make their appearance and indicate by their conceptual nature the prime contradictions in society. Adorno insisted that Benjamin comes closer in his descriptions to these contradictions. This literary-philosophical notion reflects naturally many intellectual discussions which prevailed in Europe prior to Second World War and the coming of Fascism, but it has also remained a strong line of thought with philosophers like Susan Buck Morss developing this notion further. The only city which took this original literal idea serious and further was Dublin when it created in the city James Joyce paths so that people could retrace the route Bloomfield took when travelling through the city within 24 hours. When Marseille bid for the title, it proposed to use Albert Camus and the Arab philosophers as pillars to initiate a dialogue between Europe and the Arab world. When the 7th of November 2013 and therefore the 100th birthday of Albert Camus came, nothing took place to honour this literary figure. (see here the interview with the daughter of Albert Camus in 'Die Welt', "Am Ende gewinnt doch immer das Leben"7.Nov. 2013

http://www.welt.de/kultur/literarischewelt/article121608724/Am-Ende-gewinnt-doch-immer-das-Leben.html
Within the discourse of the University Network, there can be found good examples of interesting thematic treatments, take for examplel Peter P. Müller (2008) Paradoxes in the Mediation of Culture for Foreigners. Editor: Wim Coudenys, Proceedings of the Second Annual Conference of the University Network of European Capitals of Culture, Liverpool 16/17 October 2008, p. 47 – 54 This indicates on how the notion for Pecs evolved from the original idea to how it presented itself as gateway and open place for all kinds of cultural heritages. A closer look at this idea would seem to suggest how a approach to cultural diversity can become the blue print for a cultural programme once a city has the title. Naturally all these discussions about certain ideas were possible before political reality took a hold of the concept. Unfortunately for Pecs was the death of the first mayor and then a second mayor who did not last. But for a city to stay true to itself, those original ideas need to be recalled when working through the experiences made during that one decisive year. It would open up possible links to culture as new form mediation between ideas and reality. It could be promoted by translation between different cultural streams and influences. It would mean confronting at the same time existing cultural heritage as if the evidence of a past diversity justifies turning a blind eye as to how diversity is treated in the present, namely not really well. Crucial is to see that any new cultural diversity begins to articulate itself outside of university and therefore it will take time before that is recognized. Walter Benjamin was not even recognized by the Frankfurt School and therefore could not publish his essay about the Flaneur in the Passages of the city.
Adorno's critique of Cultural Industries sets another premise as to what has been receiving an overemphasis at European level, namely the Cultural and Creative Industries. What took place in Ruhr 2010, here a publication by Kathrin Oerters, Jürgen Mittag (2008 European Capitals of Culture as Incentives for Local Transformation and Creative Economies: Tendencies – Examples - Assessments. Editor: Wim Coudenys, Proceedings of the Second Annual Conference of the University Network of European Capitals of Culture, Liverpool 16/17 October 2008,p. 70 – 97) give an important insight but which has so far been hardly discussed. At the same time, consultancies like KEA keep pushing this agenda point as if this is the only value culture has for the economy. A better understanding of what is meant by this process of monitoring a transition from an industrial economy to an Information Society has been explained well by Bernd Fesel at the ECCM Symposium 'Productivity of Culture' in 2007.At the same time, outstanding research in that regard have been made in Vienna by Veronika Ratzenböck and her research team. There has been created as well a Platform for Cultural and Creative Industries to further this policy aim pursued relentlessly by the European Commission, and which has by now a spill over effect as the new CREATIVE EUROPE programme includes now the media as one of the three strands, and this means in effect furthering the media and film sector. No wonder when in Malta this has become the top priority of the national cultural policy and thus Valletta 2018 aims primarily to promote the film industry in Malta.
There has also been a tendency even amongst experts like Mary McCarthy from Cork that ECoC cities should follow their own voice, in order to be authentic. Sonderborg 2017 listened to that advice but was not really attentive to what it means to have a true participation by all so that a creative process would allow the creation of lively hubs while the overall region would no longer be abandoned by the youth (out of ten leaving only two tend to come back). It seemed that Wroclaw 2017 with its philosophical approach would have a chance to be more authentic, but Bart Verschaffel's criticism of 'authenticity' cautions one not to be careful only in architecture but as well in culture when a city aspires to bring about something more authentic than what has been the case in the past. The same goes for a common aspiration to be true to oneself or to come to oneself as if modern life does not allow this. Overcoming such constraints would require a critical movement based on a far reaching philosophy. That was nearly the case with the student movement which took a lot of inspiration from the Frankfurt School or what Solidarnosc did as a result of what had been discussed within the Flying University and similar poetic and philosophical circles led by Adam Michnik and Jacek Kuron. The risk in all of this is that philosophical concepts like authenticity and self can easily over demand the city. In reality, there are many more cumbersome hurdles to overcome, lest of which are bureaucratic and often very alienating ones, but also social jealousy can and does play a role whenever some authentic relationships are about to mature but which cannot be regulated or controlled as wished for by those who want to steer the process. There is too often no real letting go of the reigns to let a city become truly free to define itself. That then leads to not using concepts but metaphors and instead of promoting artists, the tasks are reduced to just managing expectations while symbolic meanings of past cultures are evoked as if they stand in the present for a gateway or bridge to something new. They may accentuate a certain intention like Spyros Mercouris claiming Piraeus with link to Salamina would evoke this cultural sense when in fact it is all about powerful vested interests about to use the concept to make inroads in a culture they do not really know. Things are then claimed and implemented without much further thought about the cultural strategy needed to realize such a demand as wishing to have an authentic culture and a new way of thinking to meet the demands of today's world.
In Wroclaw 2016 the philosophical quest to ensure an authenticity of culture has been replaced by a strategy aiming to make a city become creative. Attractiveness of the city became an adaptation of Darwin's theory by including the sexual component to explain attraction and repulsion. At the same time, it leaned on Florida's theory as to who makes up the new creative class and therefore fulfils two major economic premises: they are able to drive up the prizes of real estate so that investments return a profit and at the same time they ensure that that money is kept as long as possible in the local economy. Here Wroclaw adapts experiences made when hosting the football games or when the Hendrix day is observed in the city. The latter means everyone loving that musician comes to imitate his playing on the guitar. There are many similar kinds of events which are not festivals as such but take on the character of a happening every year around the same time. It attracts a huge crowd and followers of this thematic idea which offers both a chance to get together and to acclaim a nodal point in the modern cultural or rather entertainment scene. Administration prerequisites of such events are easily handled by the city's department for public relations so that the assumption prevails a European Capital of Culture year is more or less something similar to these huge events which have been staged all the time by the city. Yet that approach misses out completely the task of developing for one whole year a coherent programme which utilizes the cultural and other resources the city has to undertake some specific tasks in the name of culture. Wroclaw has, for instance, a strong theatre tradition but the gap between Polish and Non Polish interpretations has to be bridged through a new form of cultural dialogue. Otherwise there will be disappointment and failed opportunities reinforcing once again negative criticism. It seems as if nothing is being done about these underlying controversies while at the surface everyone pretends as if everything is in order and on track. This is because there prevails now a silence about what is wrong about the bid. For inspired by a philosopher, it is equally an academic approach to artistic and cultural matters. By now the bid has been made into an useful tool by the political forces and therefore original commitments of the bid abandoned after the title had been gained. That means the artists are not on board and the necessary cultural investments shall not be done to initiate a process which does prepare for that decisive year in a good way. Rather Wroclaw risks despite all the potentials it has to be but a superficial attempt to endorse the cultural year, and therefore shall miss out above all in linking up with experiences made by other cities. To cover up this lack of being prepared it is said that some concepts are being now imported from the other Polish cities which did not make the bid. There was anyhow a nasty feeling that the jury was not completely fair in making its decision in favour of Wroclaw although it is regarded as the secret capital of post war Poland.
Another interesting idea to approach the decisive year from a truly painful angle has been San Sebastian. This city has been literally bathed in blood due to the Basque related form of violence. Hence the concept of San Sebastian for 2016 is one of culture against terrorism. Here many ideas can follow provided this theme is taken up in earnest. For instance, it would require an examination of the link between culture and non violent methods of resolving conflicts and disputes. In Spain, there is still the case of people killed during the Civil War, but their graves never really located. For poets the killing of Gracia Lorca stands as much for that kind of brutality as would say something about this the images painted by Goya. Given Spain being in economic recession, it shall not be easy to plot a path of cultural development which can deal with that untreated past kept often under a lid of silence and the new challenges. Nevertheless, San Sebastian combines nature and the culinary experiences offered by its fine kitchens. Again the aim is to make the place more attractive to visitors, but then such a programme would mean inviting people into a kind of 'schizophrenia of peace' with high quality restaurants on the one hand and on the other bombs going off as if Bunel's film 'Obscure object of desire' still holds when wishing to identify this contradiction, or terrorism admidst bourgeousie society. Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth can add here a dimension to this peace making effort of culture as there has been already one such action with children painting their thoughts and emotional anticipations what they would do if they would have lost everything, as was the case with children when Guernica was bombed in 1937 and forced then parents to give up their children for adoption to save them. Since Guernica is but 50 Km away from San Sebastian, that then raises more of a question whether or not Picasso's answer to Guernica is taken as prime example or not on how to answer to violence and basically to the madness of humanity in thinking violence would achieve something.
When Marseille made its bid to be European Capital of Culture for 2013, everyone praised it for one prime reason. The bid expressed a wish to renew the European - Arab dialogue based on Albert Camus and the Arab philosopher. But the reality of Marseille in 2013 tells another story. The 100th birthday of Albert Camus was not observed on Nov. 7th as pointed out by his daughter in an interview to a German newspaper 'die Welt'. But more important is that Marseille faces a similar problem of violence which silences not only people, but keeps the authorities at bay. It can be called a kind of stand-off as if an unwritten deal has been made along the line you do not touch us and we will not create any problems for you. This deal may hold merely for this decisive year of 2013. Such a deal is of crucial importance if Marseille is to secure the impression in the decisive media channels that it was indeed a successful year due to an absence of violence. Already the shooting of 23 people around October 2013 marred that image but Kimmelmann in his article managed to relativize it by stating Paris is by far a more violent city. But it matters what kind of reputation sticks to a city. As far as impressions by visitors concur with this general notion, it can influence them to come again or else to recommend a visit to others. If there is this general fear of violence, they will definitely not come. Images do matter as everyone knows. Hence it is no easy task for a city to avoid such incidences which would mean incurring during the decisive year a negative press. Thus when the afore mentioned 23 people were killed in a gang related war in the northern suburbs of Marseille, the news spread immediately and the whole city became identified with this unsettling fact of the city being violent. It is like the media reporting about strikes and demonstrations exploding into violence in the case of Greece that prompts immediately visitors to avoid coming to the city. It leaves hotel owners and tourist operators complain that the political authorities are not doing enough to ensure a tourist friendly image prevails in the media and on the ground. What is then not dealt with is the disruption caused by this special silence and here culture needs to overcome such a silence. It starts by asking what prompted Camus to stay silent once the war in Algiers erupted to the full scale of an all out self defeat of the colonial system?
It is interesting to see how Valletta '18 has started to prepare for the decisive year after the title was officially designated in May 2013. They started off by undertaking a 'cultural mapping exercise'. The use of public spaces shall be examined from various angles, in order to know what events can be hosted there and which cultural activities are suitable for what kind of spaces. Cultural mapping is derived from what someone like Lia Ghilardi has been doing all along, namely cultural planning. It starts with mapping what cultural resources are available in any given territory. Such a knowledge is needed when planning for future events and what else needs to be done to achieve a certain cultural programme. Graz 2003 spoke here about attaining a certain standard and then sustaining it by keeping the cultural scene of the city alive. The latter depends upon especially the younger generations being receptive to this idea and kind of cultural activity. Possible use of space is an important measure for what is possible. The only problem in the case of the methodology chosen by V18 coordinating this exercise is that only academics are doing the research along seven different thematic lines. The fact that not artists are involved although they have a different eye for how a space can be used, is an indication already for the heavy influence of universities in the process. That has become by now standard procedures with people like Greg Richards everywhere present as he is considered to be one of the leading experts together with Bob Palmer as to what a ECoC city can achieve and still come to terms with modern requirements of cultural tourism. One needs to note this as not being a cultural but an economic goal which figures greatly in determining the method chosen to help prepare for that decisive year.

8. Possible fault lines while details matter

There is more to success than what meets the eye right away. Nothing can replace a clear vision and well thought through concepts but above all something else needs to be heeded, and that is details do matter.That can be already a simple fact e.g. how a toilet is constructed or how seats are arranged e.g. the newly constructed Villa Mediterranea of Marseille 2013 is so beautiful from the outside, but then one wonders why in the auditorium the seats are so tight as if sitting in an air plane owned by a company which wants to make extra money by using up more space for still further seats? As someone joked, they are made for the French size, but such a generalization should not be a criticism of a set norm. Rather details matter in terms of thinking about people. That requires logistics, anticipation and a great deal of attentiveness best practised by listening carefully to the advise of others. The more eyes help shape the concept, all the better.

For instance, when a curator visited Valletta in Malta and attended the 'notte bianchi' - the white nights - she notices that there was no clear distinction between public and private space as would be the case in other countries in which cultural heritage is clearly public and therefore no commercial activities, no advertisement would be allowed. How important that is was demonstrated by Weimar '99 when the restoration of the city excluded any advertisement and thus it was a relaxation for the eye when walking through the streets to be able to enjoy the restored houses and not be distracted. That was not the case in Antwerp '93 while it is being amply demonstrated in Marseille 2013. Public spaces are free of advertisements. So to return to Valletta and the example there, that confusion of private and public space means when stepping out of the cathedral, one goes immediately through an area which has become semi private since a cafe and where it would cost something, if one was to sit down. As a result of this confusion the curator noticed something else. People did not take care of the space but left behind a huge amount of litter and that in turn spoiled the aesthetical tension of the space. At the same time, it brought out an expression of an aesthetic of ugliness rather than allowing culture to be expressed through true beauty.

Moreover if support is to be given to artists then bringing about new works is but one part, for receiving and appreciating them is quite another part of the same equation. Here details matter on how these artists feel of being taken care of. One principle is that they are greeting upon arrival and never abandoned until they have departed. As expression of hospitality it means also some practical things are not forgotten when bringing about such huge events.

By the way that details matter was exemplified by the tragic event in Ruhr 2010 when the 'Love Parade' turned into a disaster. For then too many people had gathered in a space with only one exit and once that was clogged, people started to panic. The result was that 21 people died due to suffocation while more than 500 were injured. It happened on the 24th of July 2010, that is when the year programme was barely half way through. It put immediately a huge damper on the whole spirit of that cultural year. Why no one bothered to check the numbers cited when an estimate was made how many would attend, that is not such a mystery. For sponsorship does depend upon numbers attending and therefore those organizing such events tend to push things in that direction. That can exceed in many cases the safety limit.

The Love Parade example is a big lesson for all ECoC of the future. One could sense his relief when Ulrich Fuchs, assistant director of Marseille 2013, when he reaccounted during the conference of the University Network that 500 000 people attended the opening of Marseille 2013 and nothing, but absolutely nothing happened. No ugly incidence. He added in comparison to Linz where drunken behaviour led to a series of incidences, nothing of that kind happened in Marseille. He attributes this to the Muslim attitude not to drink in public but it goes beyond a religious component when non violence prevails. For to host such huge events and not to have a minor or even major incidence is nothing but short of a miracle. No wonder that the organizers breathe a sigh of relief afterwards.

In terms of success or not, it makes a huge difference if this quality of being a clean and safe event can be upheld when compared to events during which something has gone out of control. And one more point was stressed by Ulrich Fuchs. He insisted that the numbers cited to indicate how many people attended the event are really true and trustworthy and in the case of Marseille it meant relying on the police keeping the statistic for purpose of crowd control. Thus claims of success count on such subtle details that the numbers are derived from trust worthy sources.

Fault lines

Unfortunately many fault lines are not acknowledged at all. The denial is itself a part of the negative legacy ECoC create since they abandon the fact that culture has to do with truth telling. To uncover these fault lines, it would require quite another evaluative approach. That would best be done in terms of realizing what is the full potential of culture and artistic work and what is missed out if not realized. It would mean having a real cultural measure at hand.

As fault lines are not really researched into very little is known about what aspects of culture remain in the shadow or in silence of this one year, and this not only within that respective city, but also in terms of the possible interaction and cooperation with other parts of Europe. For if it is to be a capital, the city should in some distinct way give inspiration to all working in and for culture throughout Europe and the world.

Unfortunately the commercial trend underlying the usual interpretation of the title means in reality seizing this a sole opportunity for self advertisement of the city. Culture is made thereby into a show case of what the city has to offer and it is done with the aim to attract more visitors who do not have to be necessarily artists but who are able to bring money into the city.

No wonder then that the evaluation methods used and adopted so far, tend to focus on success stories linked to urban regeneration efforts and on any other highly visible results. Thus claims of achievements can be made in a kind of free space with no real validation able to question the overall assumption and claim that all of this has still something to do with culture. Rather the type of evaluation method linked to prescribed measures of success sets the agenda and dictates in the final end the programme which is to be implemented. According to the adjustments, modifications and compromises made, politics enters the cultural field and destroys the ethical integrity of the arts. Hence cities risks losing any critical measure of its acclaimed success by undertaking everything to silence the critics by whatever means. Above all they fear to be exposed to merely using culture so that they can mask a hidden agenda much more profane and therefore materially orientated than what the original bid stated when the city was still a candidate for the title. It follows that everyone learns quickly as to what a city can do even if it is said it is done in the name of culture for Europe.

For instance, in the case of Liverpool no mention is made in the reports about the numerous fake companies which were set with the claim to start business in the newly renovated harbour front. A lot of money was consumed for training purposes as if this is a real set up of business. It is not but in reality a financial scam. Tracing what money was spend under the umbrella of being a European Capital of Culture but with no ramification whatsoever for the British attitude towards Europe underlines just a hypocritical use of something for no other purpose but to gain more money. The negative impact this has upon culture should be researched into as it may reveal the negative underside of such a managerial approach and explain far more why so many people were left behind by this one cultural year. One outstanding example is the article by John Bennett called "Answering to the audience: Opportunities and tensions in popular theatre programming with particular reference to the Royal Court Liverpool and the European Capital of Culture" (in: "Whose Culture(s)?", Second Annual Conference of the University Network of European Capitals of Culture, Proceedings, Liverpool, 16 - 17 October 2008, editor: Wim Coudenys. p.98 - 111 The theatre received no money from the official budget designated for the ECoC year, but created an audience which had no hesitation to answer back to the actors. He concludes as follows: "So now 2008 is nearly over. It has been a success for the city but not necessarily for all the right reasons - huge sums of money have been spent but has it been well spent? On the bright side we'll be saying goodbye to the well paid bureaucrats who will claim the success as theirs. That means the city can be returned to the people who care about it, who were here before 2008 and want to be here after it. Perhaps now things can settle down and we can get back to spending the money available for culture on culture for the people of this city and invest in our cultural buildings many of which are in dire need of restoration, not least our own theatre." (op.cit. p.110)

Consequently fault lines have to be established along what could make up the creative process and then is not realized due to the failure to be articulated in a form of criticism which is not only accepted but supported by the political side. Since the arts and culture depend upon this criticism being sustained over the entire year, it cannot be that the political and managerial approach adopted to implement finally the concept silences this criticism. Unfortunately this has been the case in Linz 2009 due to the artistic director turning out to be much more managerial and organizationally orientated and thereby subjecting the arts and culture to constraints and norms derived from a managerial interpretation of the economy.

In the final end, many ECoC cities end up making the artistic and cultural component into being but one aspect of the overall development project. Aarhus 2017 advertises already the ECoC title as being just one of its many development projects. Such a classification ruins literally the distinctive organizational methods any city is in need of if to stay atune with the aspirations of artists and what inspiration citizens stand to gain for a culture coming truly alive.

There are ways to make cultural needs and political considerations compatible. For instance, Eindhoven developed here a special project called Proeftuin and means 'experimental garden' or 'test bed':

"A Proeftuin will be a place to conceive, practise and experience art. It will offer the mental and physical space to experiment, contemplate and create. Our programme will grow out of multidisciplinary teams, Proeftuin projects in which artists, local residents and experts will work on art and culture together in an open-source way designed to break down barriers. The results of the Proeftuin projects will be diverse, ranging from performances, artworks and exhibitions to festivals and street theatre."

As stated already Eindhoven did not get the title, and therefore this project designed to be a combination of action and research to find out more about culture by entering multi disciplinary teams shall not be realized.

Changes in paradigm over time

A lot of the fault lines have to do with ECoC cities moving steadily away from the original concept not only in terms of the original bid and what is finally implemented, but in measure of what evolved out of the idea to have one European Capital of City per year. By now there are two, something which waters down the concept. Also the title is interpreted, even misinterpreted to justify making use of it for purely non cultural interests.

That then raises a question of a legitimate continuity of the original idea. The matter has not been discussed or responded to in great detail. There prevails a difference between the more research orientated approach adopted once universities become involved in the process and the monitoring and evaluation procedure prescribed by the European Commission and the jury. Given the limited power the European Commission in contrast to the legitimate power granted to local authorities, i.e. a mayor and the Municipal Council, it happens as a rule that once the title has been designated within the national framework (as underlined by six of the 13 jury members being national representatives chosen by the respective Ministry of Culture of that specific member state), cities concentrate much more on themselves rather than on fulfilling the European dimension. Especially if they do not tackle seriously the question of culture but use it to propagate other kinds of development i.e. urban regeneration, they will find the very concept of culture highly elusive and prefer to deal with something much more concrete. It can called the brutality of the game being played at all political but especially at local level.

There is still one further aspect to be considered. As long as the ECCM network existed, an attempt was made to bring together former, current and future ECoC cities, so that experiences could be passed on and they stand to learn from one another. But after the ECCM network folded in 2010, nothing ensured anymore the continuity between former, current and future ECoC cities nor was there an attempt made to uphold something like an Institute of European Capitals of Culture with its own archive and to which each and every city had to make a contribution as part of the obligations which go with the designation of the title. Consequently the outcome of ECoC cities for Europe's concept of culture is quite unsure. The only indication thereof can be called the paradigm changes over time.

1) After the initial cities like Athens 1985, Florence 1986, Berlin 1988 etc. Glasgow 1990 altered the concept of culture as meeting place for people and started to use culture to refurbish urban places. Since then the prime paradigm has become urban regeneration. Whether Weimar 1999, Genoa 2004 or Liverpool '08 but now as well Marseille 2013, they all have engaged in redoing the city. Ulrich Fuchs said Marseille of today cannot be recognized in terms of how the city looked like when he arrived there for the first time in 2009. Clearly Liverpool '08 has reinforced this trend by making urban regeneration the centre piece of its claim of success and what should be taken note of whenever a European Capital of Culture is evaluated.

2) During the EU public consultation in 2011 the criteria of having to be a city and not a region was discussed. Those who objected to the regional aspect pointed that is primarily in the urban space where artistic work and innovation takes place. Such an urban culture is not necessarily given, if spread out over an entire region. However Lille 2004 initiated the idea of networking with the surrounding areas, in order to solicit all inhabitants and visitors of that greater area in an overall cultural scheme. Others followed suit such as Ruhr 2010 with 53 cities forming one imaginary unit but which dissolved as soon as Ruhr 2010 closed its office after the year was over. Likewise Marseille 2013 stressed this factor of needing to include the surrounding province upon which the city depends more than vice versa. Ulrich Fuchs admitted that he was sceptical at first about this linkage but in practice it worked out very well, so his experience. He believes it has contributed to integrating Marseille with the rest of the province which tends to be by far richer and better organized than Marseille itself. Thus no wonder if the regional model or cooperation between several cities leads repeatedly to similar attempts. This was the case with Eindhoven in Holland for 2018 and is now also in Greece happening with three cities applying together for 2021, namely Tripoli, Kalamata and Nafplion.

3) Whether or not selection of city plays a role in what is then the final outcome, that could be examined further. Still another interesting observation has been made by Nicole Immerle who states in her still unpublished paper that so far no border cities were given the designation. When Bob Scott was chairman of the Jury, he was strictly against such a notion. He was convinced that any ECoC city should be only the national representative and therefore should not encompass more than one culture. For this reason Ruhr 2010 and not Görlitz as a city on the border with Poland was selected when it was the turn of Germany. But according to Nicole Immerle this is changing with both Marseille and Valletta 2018 being on the periphery or outer border of Europe. She makes, however, the interesting qualification that even these cities try to make forget that they are at the border of Europe and attempt to move towards the middle. They do so as part of the overall cultural adaptation process all cities undergo in response to the global economy. Hence they tend as well to sidestep the European dimension and put themselves an increased effort behind their own international initiatives. Ferdinand Richard calls it the 'diplomacy from below'.

9. Culture open to doubt

Whenever there is doubt, there is openness to a further going learning process. This is because ready admittance that mistakes have been made or not everything was complete offers a chance to go on. This acknowledgement of doubt is itself significant since a motor of change and a chance to learn out of mistakes. A prerequisite is that the process of arriving at the programme articulated by key concepts can be followed, and therefore also the decisions made to adapt and to alter course can be communicated. For that would make the outcome of the entire year be itself an enrichment of understanding how culture works and what brings about lively hubs with people of all walks of life joining in. For learning to shape one's own destiny would mean giving people a chance to step outside the usual coercive logics into which the economy forces them usually and thereby entail quite another way of dealing with the economy. The latter is not about attracting more yachts to the harbour as if only those with a high income are welcome, because the prime question of Michael D. Higgins deserves here to be repeated: what kind of society is wanted if Europe is atuned only to those who can afford to consume culture under certain conditions and not alter the very subtle forms of culture which mislead and reduces the horizon if no critical reflections are heard?

Being open to doubt would make people ready to discuss and to evaluate various possibilities. There will not have to be just way of doing things. It would require that the thinking process is made audible just as the creative process will be visible by learning suddenly to make new and good use of available materials. Such an open culture would give everyone a chance to participate in the process and value that everyone is making contributions towards the collective effort to find solutions.

It is of crucial importance to underline the concept of doubt for culture. To hold out to doubt, there is needed a strong philosophy which can transmit to the individual but equally to collective bodies a readiness to doubt. The difference can be felt once dogmatic truths and oversimplified claims things work only in this and in no other way can be avoided.

Practical example: Antwerp 1993 with Eric Antonis

One interesting case in the history of ECoC cities has been above all Antwerp '93 when Eric Antonis not only became the artistic director, but opened up the prevailing definition of culture to doubt.

To open up culture to doubt, Eric Antonis had to secure first of all his own independence as artistic director. He did not accept the position until he had full support for this prime condition. It meant he was free to hire his own people with no one else interfering in his choice. For instance, the person he picked to coordinate literature was the philosopher Bart Verschaffel who teaches nowadays at the University of Gent: Faculty for Architecture and Planning.
He obtained further support from all sides by splitting up the budget into three parts: i. promotion of politicians, ii. support of ongoing activities by letting them to use the official logo to advertise their activities but also by upgrading their publicity and promotional campaigns, and iii. once these two other groups were taken care of, he was free to spend the rest of the money on artistic and cultural work open to doubt.
It meant above all the creation of 20 new opera pieces as a very different kind of contribution to the culture in the making. This includes bringing young people again into contact with the opera world. Of the 20 newly commissioned works, 19 of them saw their first performance during that decisive year of 1993.
In literature, doubt meant not to have a fixed programme for writers but instead the coordinator Bart Verschaffel let the writers once they had arrived absorb the city by having for the first few days no programme at all. Only then he gathered them around him and together they started to discuss themes about which they could write collectively. One main theme was 'border'. This legacy of Antwerp '93 was attained by having these books published. At the same time, it meant entering a tension field between international and local artists / writers even though Bart Verschaffel says he made a lot of enemies by not allowing the ECoC to become a mere platform for local writers wishing merely to show off their profiles. Ulrich Fuchs would add to this experience of a tension between local and international artists that this accompanies almost every city once the title has been designated as it is only too natural for local artists to expect now it is their turn to show their works on an international stage. This mistake is even reinforced by some guidelines of the EU suggesting the city should show and develop its own cultural resources. What 'culture as doubt' alters in this tension field is that this has to apply equally to the local artists since it all depends what strategy the city will adopt to make a contribution to European culture.
Naturally doubt does not mean to neglect the need to make investments in the development of cultural resources which the city can use in future to host cultural events or to make further contributions to cultural development. Doubt is, however, a measure for what can be done with the available cultural resources at local level and what else needs to be added to ascertain a cultural programme of high quality. Here Sonderborg 2016, when preparing for the bid, misunderstood this demand as implying a culture only for the eilte when in fact a culture of excellence was meant.

Eric Antonis stated at the Fifth Seminar 'Cultural actions for Europe' held in Athens 1994 that "culture is the most difficult thing to evaluate." For what can make a child happy when listening for the first time to strange sounds of music, but which he carries within himself for the rest of his life and does become a famous pianist, that cannot be known once that one crucial year is over. Art works subversively and only later will people realize they have changed their attitudes and appraisal of certain things.

Such artistic and aesthetic evaluation is linked to practical judgement of not only what cultural resources are available, but how can they be developed further. It may even include new ones due to a wise decision to make some crucial cultural investments while giving space for things to develop. As Michel Foucault put it, the art is to free space without occupying it oneself.

All this is said to indicate how difficult it is to ascertain what of the artistic and cultural activities shall fulfil the European dimension. Certain is that once the European question is included in the process of search for a viable programme, then also the city can take up suggestions and ideas to give shape for something which is both unique and at the same time brings the local and regional level into contact with the European one. It will be a search for answers to outstanding problems as posed by Europe being transformed due to the European Union with its institutions and open borders in order to create an internal market.

Extra care is needed so that the various contributions made by the respective European Capitals of Culture are open to doubt when they claim success. There is an art of criticism as much as knowing nothing is complete. Cities and their municipal governments along with the organization they formed to implement the cultural programme for one year should not be offended if they are critically examined and questioned, for to be open to doubt means they have achieved the goal of opening up themselves. They can come to terms with the fact that much more needs to be done so that culture does play a major role in how Europe is being shaped by all and not only economic forces.

10. Differences in Approaches

There are distinct differences between three different strands of approaches:

i. the creative approach by soliciting ideas from citizens while getting artists involved to give shape to a cultural programme and which is best done as a bottom-up process with the aim to create cultural hubs and at macro level a viable cultural space which can host and develop further the creative tensions;

ii. by entering te implementation process like any other European project which has to deal fore mostly with political authorities at various levels

iii. conducting research within the contemporary university context and doing cultural impact studies to ascertain what benefits local citizens have from this one year.

Generally speaking, the cultural sector, the administrative set-up and universities are all hard pressed nowadays to perform in business like fashion. While artistic work is linked more and more to what is being done within the sphere of Creative and Cultural Industries (from web design to animation films), managerial methods require a special organisational structure which leads often to either a direct conflict with the artistic director or else sidelines the latter or gives him merely a secondary role to play when it comes to shaping the programme. Universities can be delivers of ideas at the outset when the city as a whole or a special group prepares the bid, but with regards to research and especially when it comes to establishing the legacy, methods used sideline increasingly so the artistic and cultural content for the sake of cultural impact assessment terms.

The variety of approaches is, however, linked as well to where from shall come the necessary funds to realize and to sustain the entire process. As this is very much linked to the danger of an increased commercialization of culture, special methods and in effect new concepts are needed to safeguard cultural identities most likely jeopardized by the process which has been finally adapted.

One reason to examine differences in approaches is a wish to know why there prevails such a wide variety when it comes to interpret the two main criteria set forth by the European Commission and interpreted accordingly by the Jury, namely the ECoC bid must fulfil the European dimension and citizens of the city must be behind the bid. Often it seems quite another interpretation prevails when becoming a candidate city for the ECoC title while another concept kicks in, literally speaking, once the title has been designated. There is a certain lack of consistency in the way the title is being handled throughout the entire process. Primarily it indicates a lack of communication i.e. ability to give such feedbacks that people are not disappointed but stay aboard and contribute to the overall learning process, and therefore the memories of ideas discussed at the beginning stay alive and are present as imaginary witnesses throughout the process.

Of course, each city is a unique location as demonstrated by having its own self understanding of culture. It makes into an interesting reading as far as divergences in the interpretation of the criteria set forth by the European Commission are concerned. Likewise it is worthwhile to recall one suggestion made by a delegate from Warszawa at the public consultation in 2011, insofar as he pleaded that the criteria should not be so tight or restricted, in order to give space for a creative interpretation. For that would make the proposal of any city that much more into an expression of its creative capacity to come up with some original idea and with an exact fit between local needs and the European context. Such proposals would reflect not only cultural diversity, but indicate as where a city finds itself to be in at this time and space. Given not only diversity but inequalities throughout Europe, this would do a greater justice to where the city would stands with regards to overall developments in Europe.

Surprisingly is, however, the loss of diversity over time seems to reflect most of the approaches which were finally decided upon. A kind of uniform pattern emerges more and more as ECoC cities adopt similar managerial and organisational strategies, so that they begin to look alike much more alike in the approaches they take and what outcomes they manage to secure. Apparently success is recognized only within a restricted sense of criteria which satisfy certain interests, but says nothing about the real progress made in terms of the arts and cultural development.

All this may be due to similar methods, advisors or expers being used but it can also be attributed to financing mechanisms which are installed and which end up producing very much of the same. One way to characterize this trend would be to say all this amounts to a kind of hyped up economy which uses culture to make the city more attractive but hardly allows for any effort being made to do full justice to what the title itself says when claiming to be during that one year European Capital of Culture.

Most of the time the term 'capital' is completely ignored even though it would mean to assume responsibility for that year as to what is happening in and to culture throughout Europe. The latter would go clearly way beyond merely show casing what the city can do in one year and thereby use culture for purpose of self advertisement in order to attract just more tourists.

Uniformity is not so much a riddle but a curse in an all consuming society which justifies and recognizes only what brings in more money. Thousand excuses will be invented to give reason as to why this is necessary. The outcome will be just the same. Not even an excuse will be offered. Rather the legacy shall be one of success as if the outcome can stand on its own feet despite Europe being in deep crisis. Most likely the robbing of culture of its critical powers makes empty everything else which legitimize the approaches adopted in the final end.

It is, therefore, interesting what obvious and hidden problems are named at the outset, and this especially out of a wish to use this opportunity to resolve some outstanding problems. And then over time, and especially during that year these original problems seem no longer to be so relevant or other priorities seem to matter more. Pressed by time and in need to overcome conflicts, such an approach is adopted which ends by neutralizing culture as more and more it is realized this can be the greatest source of conflict. But then claims in retrospect are made to show some use has been made of this opportunity.

Certainly Graz 2003 claims to have grasped that opportunity. Meant by that is that the city overcame a political blockade which had prevented in the past moving forward. But can the construction of a new concert hall been claimed as a real achievement in cultural terms? Marseille 2013 had likewise a historical opportunity to achieve a cultural concept which is compatible with its diverse population and structure of city within a special region, but in the end it opted for an iconic symbolic renovation of especially the sea side of the city and left Albert Camus aside. Thus it may have missed a historical opportunity as outlined by Ferdinand Richard.

A lot is determined by what gives finally shape to the programme of that one year. The latter is the result of the type of organization set up and what shall be finally implemented by that European Capital of Culture. It is a measure of what can be achieved after five years of preparation. It seems at first sight that much depends upon the artistic director and on the quality of the artistic programme. However, the ECoC has become in the meantime such a complex undertaking that culture has suffered increasingly so under the grip of a managerial approach. It reflects the usual organizational patterns once huge sums of money and especially construction projects are involved. As one critic of Istanbul 2010 would put it, much more was done to restore cultural heritage since then politics cannot do so many mistakes as would be the case of giving space for cultural diversity to express itself.

By contrast the development of a truly inspirational artistic programme requires quite a different knowledge and handling of especially the artists. If that knowledge does not exist, then no one will know how to steer and let unfold a creative process. For it is also a matter of practical wisdom to know where to make the cultural investments so that short and long term are linked by involving in the end all citizens and institutions of the city.

Such a creative process differs from any actual implementation especially if the mayor and other powers take over once the city has received the designation of the title for that specific year. Right now this is the case in Wroclaw 2016 where the philosopher Adam Chmielewski had to depart and the mayor of Wroclaw took over. Likewise is the case in Aarhus 2017 where Trevor Davis had to depart after the city received the designation. Also it is well known that the NGOs which initiated a successful bid on behalf of Pecs and Istanbul for 2010 were ousted and quite other forces took over. There was no longer any continuity in terms of the original bid as they had quite a different idea of how to make use of the fact that the city has the title for one year.

Creative process

To bring about such a creative process, there have to be set constraints since creativity results out of not everything being allowed. The art of setting these constraints gives artists orientation e.g. they are free to express themselves provided they do it on wood and not on any other material. In a more articulated strategy, this would mean children can use certain spaces in the city to imagine how they will welcome the visitors and tell them stories about their cities. It could be linked to children adopting one monument and preparing different texts (archaeological, architectural, literary etc.) about this specific monument in order to come up with some information sheet for the visitors.

A lot of work needs to be done but to know what follows is to know how to be open for the unexpected and unusual. This is like entering a permanent creative process by learning how to deal with a mix of expected and unexpected situations. It might mean imagining everyone becoming a street cleaner and therefore all go with brooms through the streets to see the city from this vantage point. Once such a local experience has been made, new arrangements for parked cars or benches can be found while the overall aesthetics of a place manifests itself best through how people treat these spaces. Setting constraints is an essential art and part of the cultural planning in need to be done, if a city is to sustain a demanding programme over the stretch of one year. If citizens need to stand behind the bid, then it should also be shaped by them in order to socialize each other in terms of the Eurpean dimension. It matters if they tend to be inward looking or look towards other parts of Europe. For only in the case of the latter can they bring themselves into the European context and learn from the wide scope of all these other impulses.

But true paint strokes, whether now by Van Gogh or Picasso, cannot be reproduced, not by the painters themselves, never mind by someone else. As the Polish artist Mariusz Lukasik would say of his signature he drives his banks crazy because every time he signs, it is not the same signature. One reason for this is that the artist must strive for this 'uniqueness'. Th.W. Adorno called it 'sui generis'. By association the meaning thereof can be extended: the articulation has to come from within the artist and be expressed in an outer metier with the materials used mattering as much as the time in which this expression was made. Completely different is the search for objectivity within the fields of knowledge already researched and therefore any research article must satisfy certain canons in terms of theory, method and engagement of other references. It is like calling others to attention of what is already recognized knowledge whereas the artist strives to be recognized all by him- or herself, and preferable only alongside those other artworks by artist he or she admires. This has then all the making of an imaginary museum in which to locate one's art work besides those who are already recognized for their artistic endeavour. Naturally, this calls into question to which artistic forms of expression a yearly programme of ECoC cities gives recognition to or what can be a worked out programme to allow for arts as a process rather than having the final word on everything?

Managerial process

As to the managerial approach adopted as a general rule, it is very often linked to who provides the initial funds until the application for the title has been successful. Many cities do not wish to commit themselves to an artistic director until that first stage of success is secure. Repeatedly the jury would recommend after the first round of evaluation cities to hire an artistic director but that recommendation is seldom followed up. Once the title has been designated, then the paradigm change is tremendous i.e. many jump on the band wagon where before they were most sceptical and dismissive. This is why a NGO in Istanbul was left to do what it wanted since no one thought they had a chance, but once Istanbul received it, then other powers took over. It means the preparatory phase goes through a lot of turmoil and uncertainty prevails due to a lack of knowledge about culture. And even things can become more complicated as was the case in Patras where the artistic director Mikroutsikos resigned on January 3rd 2006, that is just when the decisive year had started. This was do to many reasons, political infighting but also nepotism playing a major role or as Bob Palmer put it when the mayor wanted his wife to play a leading role in a theatrical play, he knew already there was too much political interference in what was an artistic matter and therefore he predicted already in 2004 that Patras would not do well. He was right but no one listened really to him as many contributed towards covering up all the failures at the cultural i.e. artistic level for there was money to be gained no matter what and that silenced many of the critics.

Management relies on another type of legitimacy, and that is mainly university based..Ruhr 2010 represents most explicitly this influence of professors. They have an unquestioned authority especially within German society. Thus it was no surprise that they had a major role to play when it came to organize the cultural program. Consequently Ruhr 2010 was linked to a kind of knowledge which is only accessible to professors and their way of understanding how to organize society for such an event.

For a further examination of these different approaches taken and their respective fault lines, it is of great importance to trace how original ideas with a far reaching vision are altered once the reality sets in.

University embedded processes

Research orientation

There are several ways in how the influence of universities can be traced

Theories of culture and of the cities combine to determine approaches according to the status this knowledge has in the current debate as to what concept the city can come up with when preparing the bid. From the outset this means following current debates which are influenced by certain trends e.g. the transition from modernity to post modernity and what role culture and the arts are assumed to be able to play within these specific contexts or time modes.

Monitoring / evaluation is mandatory from the side of the European Commission and has been advocated as early as 2004 by Bob Palmer in his report. Since then this method has been refined and become a part of the bid process itself. It is being proposed to convince the Jury that the city will uphold the value of consistency right from the start until the very end. It is, therefore, an integral part of an argumentative strategy used in a typical competitive situation. Cities end up soliciting the help and advise of experts like Greg Richards who are linked simultaneously to several cities all in different phases and therefore indicates the wide use of a small pool of experts who have become known to be the key ones linked to the ECoC saga.
Alterations in terms used to do research as to the outcome so that instead of just counting the number of visitors efforts are made to gauge such things as 'psyche income' with a lot of these terms coming from cultural tourism orientated research programme. Most of the time references are made to other studies and research work having been done but not to what artists express not only themselves but through what works were produced in the context of a city being European Capital of Culture for one year. Most difficult becomes here the question but how to assess whether Maribor succeeded to overcome a problem it named at the outset, namely a lethargic attitude people adopt especially if they feel nothing really changes and the old injustices will remain the same. For them most of the time the year goes by without having affected their daily lives except for a few more distractions they happened to experience while passing by. How people decide to participate, and what long term impact this has on them, that is an interesting, equally more difficult question to answer. Even though it would be crucial to know if they could say something more significant about the European dimension, this matter seems rarely to be taken up as most research efforts are concentrated much more on the relationship of citizens to their own city and do not go beyond that immediate periphery.
Images and branding of cities has become as well a prime interest especially after Liverpool '08 directed its energies towards following up the experience made by founding the Institute of Cultural Capitals which pursues this type of research not only as research task, but as advisory guideline for other cities not necessarily only being ECoC but hosting the Olympic Games.
Legacy of the ECoC is linked to the sustainability question but requires as well archive work to trace what took place throughout that one year and as a follow up what consequences or impacts all of this is having upon further development within that city and in Europe.

There is an ongoing discussion amongst researchers indicative of how some of these questions related to ECoC developments are doing to be tackled.

"For me, as a matter of nature, I tend to see culture as an engine of economic development, and this is what I did in my work about Thessaloniki despite the fact that I emphasized on political power relations. However, as Oleg Koefoed stated, culture is definitely a vague concept and much more complex than simple economic boosterism. According to Anna Arvanitaki, sustainability (another vague concept) is a question of development. But, what kind of development? Constant growth that matches increasing materialistic demands in the long term is sustainable in sheer economic terms. But urban space is not only a place of economic transaction, but also a natural resource environment (environmental sustainability) as well as a place of human interaction or potential conflicts (social sustainability). I feel that sustainability maybe cannot be described in one single definition but instead is a sum of different principles that come from different perspectives (even in our small research team).

All in all, I believe that when we use the notion of sustainability it is better to assess our case study /data etc. according to the sustainability principles and the perspective that we addopt as a team in each case. To use an example, a hypothetical question is : how ECOC initiatives perceive environmental preservation ? or how ECOC initiatives affect citizens (human) behaviour towards recycling/ conflict resolving /understanding minorities. In such cases we do not use the term sustainability in general. Instead we focus on environmental sustainability or social sustainability in each case. it seems to me that it is easier to handle it and maybe answer such questions could be another message of ECOC for planners in line with Anna Arvanitaki." (A. Mantatzis, unpublished letter, 19. January 2012)

11. Marseille and Kosice in 2013

Marseille 2013

Marseille 2013 - building used by its foundation in old harbour

Tracing the path Marseille 2013 took since it received the designation due to an outstanding bid shall be an ongoing quest. As this year draws to a close, one remark made by Ulrich Fuchs during the conference of the University Network held Oct. 17/18 should be heeded. He stated that when he came himself to Marseille in 2009, he could not imagine all the transformation the city has gone through since then. Someone who has not visited the city most recently will certainly notice the enormous changes. Along those lines a key emphasis has to be given to use of public space and how the city became known in the international press once the Museum of Civilization from Europe and Mediterranean and Villa Mediterranea were opened. The art critic Michael Kimmelbaum re-visited Marseille in early October to see what had become of this ECoC and made following observation:

"Despite an ambitious face-lift with gleaming new architecture and a refurbished waterfront, Marseille remains a stubbornly glorious melting pot of seediness and sun — which is precisely why it’s so wonderful."

Source: Michael Kimmelman, Marseille, the Secret Capital of France in: New York Times, October 4, 2013 http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/marseille-the-secret-capital-of-france/?ref=michaelkimmelman&_r=0

The original bid was changed once reality kicked in, and more emphasis was upon iconic and symbolic buildings than anything else, even though Ulrich Fuchs attests a lot of money and energy was spent on getting a year round programme to which a poor population would have access to on countless occasions.
Dialogue / Mediterranean concept - MUCEM / place of exile are subjects which were addressed in the bid, but only partially fulfilled. For instance, Albert Camus as pillar for the needed dialogue with the Arab world and especially with Algiers was not realized. Why his 100th birthday was not observed, needs an explanation. Perhaps Marseille is too much under the tutelage of the French Cultural Ministry in Paris which seems to still hedge a resentment against this one time friend of Jean Paul Sartre. As to the Mediterranean concept, the museum serves that purpose but as Kimmelman puts it the exhibitions serve tourists and school classes, but hardly, so it seems for now, reaches such level of sophistication that it could demand attention of researchers and cultural policy makers elsewhere. Also Elizabeth Gretch remarked while she made contributions to the exhibition with artefacts coming from Malta to underline the Mediterranean concept, there was no follow up, no invitation to the opening and no interest expressed in further collaboration.
Living diversity is a term used to describe the poor neighbourhoods of Marseille but which are a melting pot for a variety of identities and which seem to cherish a myth of violence rather than being as violent as perhaps some other cities are, and this includes Paris by comparison. The debate about violence in the city showed, however, a trend towards use of culture as a highly discriminatory tool with the ECoC bringing little relief in that sense but to the contrary may have sharpened the very tools of discrimination so easily derived out of a culture pretending to be elitist when in fact it is just a way to show the arts are irrelevant in terms of making a dent in how the rich and the powerful wish to continue their privileged lives at the cost of everybody else. But as the guide in the exhibition of Le Corbusier expressed it, she hopes by doing this job she qualifies for future more interesting one, and it could be sensed she had made a tremendous cultural investment to become knowledgeable about this architect whose paintings touch other architects.

Košice 2013

This ECoC citiy seems to be hovering in the shadow of Marseille for not much has been heard what took place there, but then this may be not only a problem of poor media coverage. The idea of the European Commission to have two cities at the same time risks watering down the impact of both or at least of one. This is bound to be especially the case when a large city like Marseille is the other ECoC. But when doing some research an interesting discovery was made:

Culturefighter in Košice: http://www.culturefighter.eu/about

They describe themselves as being driven out of curiosity to find out on the basis of their own experiences what is happening in following areas:
- the concrete effects cultural initiatives, cultural policies and the creative industries have had on concrete places in Europe
- the impacts of cultural and culture-led regeneration projects (such as the European Capital of Culture as well as smaller scale grassroots initiatives)
- the factors that influenced these impacts
- the positive and critical assessments of these impacts by practitioners
- the importance of culture in the lives of European cities and regions and their people, and
- the rationale for public and private investments in culture and creativity

12. Cultural encounters and the mosaic of

urban identities

Keyword: work with artists to find out about identity e.g. Azade Köker, identity and special places – a comparison by having the same exhibition first in a trade union building and then in a palace in a luxury district

Practically none of the papers seems to deal really with Europe as a real identity or identification possibility which differs from National identity and which also delineates itself from possible misunderstandings e.g. Katerina Anghelaki Rooke: “it is so difficult to say 'I am Greek' and not be misunderstand as meaning by this to be a 'nationalist'.”
Yet what happens if the complex question of identity is handled as if a conventional truth and thereby it is assumed that the terms cultural diversity, multiculturalism, intercultural dialogue etc. suffice to cover the European dimension? While multi culturalism has been declared officially as dead by member states and therefore shall no longer be promoted by EU Cultural Policy, somehow the fiction is being upheld as if the ECoC cities would not follow this trend but uphold something else? Is that really the case? If Bob Scott could say at the 2010 celebration of 25 years of history that a European Capital of Culture has to be the national representative, and by the same token it meant to deny any border city from getting the title, something which seems no longer the case in recent years with cities like Valletta being at the Southern most border of Europe (see paper by Nicole Immerle), then what does this do to the merger of city and national level in overt cultural terms? Is it then not merely the city branding and its image which matters, but the relaunching of a national culture?
One observation: when the London Tube system was bombed in June 2005, immediately the BBC and other press agencies started to expound upon one British characteristic known from withstanding the onslaught of Hitler's rockets during Second World War, and that was British defiance. Even though London had just been awarded the title of being able to hold the Olympic Games in 2012 on the basis of its remarkable multicultural composition, that was wiped out with the response to the bombs. By the time the Olympics did come around in London 2012, you could only see British flag waving audiences. The multicultural aspect of London was 'invisible'.
Antonis Pagratis (2013) Golden Dawn has fed on people’s insecurity – Interview with philosopher Stelios Ramfos. Kathimerini, 13.10.2013

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_13/10/2013_522787

“When society has been hit by a political and moral crisis of this magnitude, the way people perceive themselves also shapes their reactions. What they believed in and what they have supported for decades as a solution has been refuted; this is a huge test for their identity, which results in [what Freud would describe as] the splitting of the Ego. When we are undergoing an identity crisis and internal rupture, we must by all means assume a new identity in order to reunite the Ego and find our lost self again. This is where Golden Dawn succeeded, in my opinion: The party offered a stable point of reference for people who were in a state of flux, ordinary folk who had lost their sense of direction. More precisely, the party gave them old-style ideology, the stuff that goes back to honorable, eternal values such as the nation and the fight against corruption. When this sort of thing is strengthened by uniforms, organizations, parades and military training then this internal welding, as it were, is facilitated and membership acquires a therapeutic quality.”

Philosophy of Science – Research hypothesis – cultural premises for identities in urban – cultural spaces -cultural mapping exercise in Valletta

Identity as non Identity (Adorno) – independence from nation state – resistance: not to be categorized – administrative knowledge: putting things in boxes – how to handle complexity

Bureaucracy and having identity / pass port / legal papers

Caldon MerciecaCreative bureaucracy need not always be an oxymoron. Pity one often has to resort to it as a practice of subversionhttp://lnkd.in/b66dgAB

Creative Bureaucracy

The world is changing dramatically. Are public bureaucracies and governance systems up to the complex challenges they face? The discretionary effort of employees is declining as disenchantment grows. This is heading for crisis proportions.

The inner and outer self-understanding (Foucault) – how to get out of post colonialism and linked syndromes e.g. Maltese identity agency
Productivity of culture – necessity of dialogue (Kacem) – dialogue between cultures -Lit Hub – listening to the different voices in the Arab world
Flash back manifest: artists + another Europe – not the institutional process but what can become another kind of voyage
Local news + response

Possible research guidelines

Dialectic of Enlightenment + Securalisation
Law and reason/unfolding of person + culture
Post colonialism: market place of voices (Waqas Kwaja): colonial subject
Economy in crisis – bottom up movements: empirical research since authoritarian personality studies by Adorno / Horkheimer
City and local diversity
difference between challenge and threat

Madness of Humanity – Middle East in Paris / in the city

Life in cities today / cities of the 21^st century

How to avoid a 'wrong fight'? The daily provocations but also what are rules for survival?

Walter Benjamin spoke already in between the Two World Wars about art becoming like mass production, that is a reproduction with only variations showing differences in meaning through another texture made up of colour, form and content.

Much of the same – continuity / stesso – 'consistency' as a value when everything else is uncertain and insecure

13. Valletta 2018

When the jury under the chairmanship of Manfred Gaulhofer from Graz delivered its pre-selection report to Valletta in Malta seeking the title of European Capital of Culture for 2018, the panel recommended that the European and Mediterranean dimensions need to be further developed and stressed that it would like to see especially three things from happening:

“Concrete projects with a strong European dimension as parts of the programme – in particular co-productions, artistic linking and involvement of local and foreign artists.”
“The problems and stakes Europe is currently facing could be taken into consideration in the designing of such projects.”
“The Valletta 2018 Foundation showed Valletta as a place of exchange between Europe and North Africa but this aspect still needed to be brought out more concretely.“ ¹

Still, when the jury filed the final report of the bid Valletta had presented for the second round of evaluation (Valletta was the only candidate city for Malta and therefore had no real competition), it stated that the European dimension is in need of still further going considerations:

“The Selection panel highlights that the European dimension of the project requires much improvement, both through the themes put forward in the projects proposed, and through a committed and intensified co-operation with European artists and cultural operators, which should leave a lasting effect well beyond 2018. It also underlines the fact that the European dimension must not only incorporate the idea of making European citizens more aware of Malta, but also making Maltese citizens more aware of Europe, also by reflecting about the ways they view and are part of Europe, as well as how they wish to be perceived by the rest of Europe. European

issues need to be made more evident, by exhibiting both cultural communality and diversity. The four themes of the programme should be developed further to enhance issues of common European concern in all cultural areas, interpreting culture in its widest sense. The Monitoring and Advisory Panel will monitor this issue and check whether the actual programme sticks more closely to this criterion.” ²

Alone that captures the position the jury finds itself in: they may observe short comings and prompt some improvements till the second and final evaluation has been made, but once the title has been designated to that city, no guarantee can be given that the city shall follow up on these recommendations and undertake all efforts to fulfil the European dimension.

Valletta 2019 received officially the designation of the ECoC title in May 2013 and marked this with a conference titled “small city – big dreams.” It seemed to be a lovely way to start preparing for 2018 best done by letting things be imagined. Here its logos 'imagine 18' can be considered to be a good invitation to image not only what the future shall bear, but also what it is, was and would be like to 18 years old. The double meaning can bring about many interesting projects. For that cultural spaces need to be provided, and rightly so Valletta has embarked on a cultural mapping exercise to develop a lay-out as to where events shall take place come 2018.

1 Nomination of the European Capital of Culture 2018 in Malta Selection Panel PRE-SELECTION REPORT Valletta 17-18 January 2012

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc/ecoc/preselection-report-malta.pdf

2 Selection of the European Capital of Culture for 2018 Malta Selection Panel Final Selection Report, Valletta 11 Nov. 2012 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc/ecoc/malta-2018-final-report_en.pdf

14. The world we live in

Crisis in culture – crisis of the ECoC

One measure for the present discussion in Marseille 2013 is what has taken place since this thematic question of crisis was discussed at the University Network conference held in Antwerp 2011. It was on the very eve of the EU summit deliberating about Greece till early in the morning. They did agree finally on a new bail-out package for Greece. However, the relief was short lived. Once Greek Prime Minister Jorgios Papandreou had returned home, he did not proceed to implement the agreed upon measures but proposed suddenly to hold a referendum on the decisions just made. The EU leaders were almost panic stricken at the very thought something similar to Ireland would be possible, namely a defty 'no' to the bailout package. Things unravelled very quickly. To them it was unheard of that Papandreou would put into jeopardy an agreement brought about by all sides pulling together in the final end. Subsequently he was forced to withdraw his proposal and instead had to step down. He was replaced by a technocratic government headed by Papademos (this model was followed in a similar fashion later on by Monti to replace the crisis riddled Italian government of Berlusconi).

Since then Greece held twice elections in 2012 with the first one being unsuccessful. No party managed to form a coalition government. However, the second one on June 17, 2012 produced a three party coalition government under Samaras and could replace the outgoing technocratic government under Papademos. Notable was as well the entry of 18 members of the Extreme Right Wing Party Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) into the Greek parliament for the first time. They propagated more a hate language while displaying brazenly in public their symbols resembling Fascism. Until September 2013 they mounted more and more attacks against migrants without impunity. Only after one of their members stabbed to death an artist singing anti Fascist songs and a group unknown till then went public to demand the immediate resignation of the government, that forces stepped in and arrested the prime leadership of the Extreme Right Wing party Chrysi Avgi. On Nov. 1st two members were shot and killed while a third one was seriously wounded outside their party headquarters by again an unknown group with the police believing this to be an Extreme Left organization. Fears of civil war like circumstances have prompted even more efforts be the Greek government on behalf of the Greek population to get the backing from the Troika and in particular from Chancellor Merkel so that no further austerity measures would become necessary to obtain further financial assistance from the EU partners.

All along it seems that other EU countries continue on their path of development even if some experience as well a crunch time due to the need to apply harsh measures to get the pension system under control and to reduce the state debt. Aside from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, it seems that France is coming under increasing pressure with many more people affected by the dim future prospects. As if the crisis has darkened the skies over Europe, the weather conditions suggest still more storms are ahead and need to be face with some dexterity.

To this can be added unusual weather conditions leading to floods as much as draughts, cold winters lasting till late into spring and the summer never really worthwhile to speak about until it gets suddenly so hot that the embankment of the Seine in Paris or the Thames in London begin to look like the Riveria. Climate change is increasingly on the mind of those who see the costs of environmental destruction due to uncontrolled economic growth and expansion piling up and nature taking revenge for what was not heeded while there was still the time to do so.

15. Displacement of Concepts

Radical concepts – arts criticize current situation

The current European debate is marked by more by diagnosis than by formulations which allow the finding of a true solution. Even work in progress is no longer sufficient as if no more substantial learning is taking place. No wonder. Already in 1999 the most gifted directors within the European Commission used to setting up fruitful programmes to ensure by dialogue between Commission and projects a learning about both the process and outcome would take place, had been replaced. Managerial competence was beginning to be outsourced under the fictitious term of efficiency when in reality it meant external evaluators would apply very often methods completely independent of the contents they were supposed to deal with. The old split of content and form manifested itself. Only in media related discussions contents providers were referred to but then quickly forgotten as evaluation meant to stick to some criteria even if this meant not giving those who really implemented the projects to reflect first of all on the experiences they had made in due course of the funding period.

All this was known already before the crisis came in 2009. But increasingly radical concepts to bring about a democratic life through the arts went silent. That has reduced the ability to critize how life was being shaped in a world over dominated by a virtual world. The latter is marked by new marketing strategies. People were told that they need something even though before they had not even known this product or service to exit. Most of these virtual firms collapsed in the wake of the crisis as their funding or income came from pseudo wealth linked to money being used to consume money. Rodea Drive had foretold that development already a long time before the crisis hit Europe and especially in Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Greece really hard.

Given the rule by means of the Troika and the strive of the member states to create a banking union with the immediate impact to sideline even more so the European Parliament and the source of moral legitimacy of the European Union, no wonder when less and less political concepts were convincing and the shouts increased to simple 'hang those politicians' as was repeatedly the case in Athens on Syntagma Square in 2010 and 2011. That populist outcry of anti politics developed further into hard core extreme right wing politics whereby in Greece Chrysi Avgi as neo Fascist party dominated the headlines until a turning point was reached in October 2013 when first a member killed an artist known for his anti Fascist songs and shortly thereafter in turn two party members were shot and killed on 1st of November 2013.

It is important to link the loss of political concepts needed for debate and for radical improvement in the lives of people to the silencing of such artistic expressions which could fill these concepts with life. The displacement of concepts by metaphorical allusions can be taken as a partial description of the dilemma in which many political processes find themselves in at the moment. Single issue and anti politics movements can flare up as quickly as they may not be able to sustain themselves if they do not know how to adapt themselves to and within the system. The Pirate Party just one prime example. There are many others.

Dominance of political parties – no space for conceptual development

Disappointed by the lower level of debate, Ferdinand Richard observes an increasing restriction in space given to conceptual development so that a creative and innovative culture plays hardly any role especially not at international level:

“The space for discussion on these notions is such a state of constraint (through member- states armies convergence, weapons harmonisations and industries, pre-EU heritage, etc... ) that original concepts have no chance to emerge, since the debate seems the exclusive field for dominating main political parties. Therefore, a deep reflection on pre- and post-conflict issues, which seem to be still uncompleted, appears as the last space for innovative reflections on the subject.”

Source: Ferdinand Richard, (2011) "The role of Culture in Defence and Security Policy PVE Budapest, April 2nd, 2011.

Search for Values

One example of a different type of discussion about war was made possible when in Toronto the late scholar Roger Simon organized in an art gallery a viewing of videos uploaded onto you-tube by Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan. The discussion took place under the title: “War seen from a distance.” The gallery space offered a different viewpoint of war and loss of human values, but also lives once bombs explode underneath the truck driven by the soldier taking the video.

16. European Debate

The missing European dimension makes itself felt as well in the European debate. Much is amiss for much has been left out ever since the crisis struck Europe after the Lehman Brothers' bank collapsed in 2008. Countries like Greece have been affected most severely. The impact of the crisis can be described onhand of men who know no longer how to answer simple questions; instead they just say:'mmhhh'. It is as if they have stones in their hearts.

Naturally everyone knows even the strongest man is weak, if he has not a single penny in his pocket. But while people fret about whether they can make it or not, a game with fake numbers or figures seems to be going on between the Greek government and the Troika. This is no longer a real negotiation but rather a vain effort to make sense out of the figures and numbers given to make up the budget. They simply do not add up. Even worse, they are not real numbers but projected ones based on probabilities i.e. so many taxes shall be collected next year. Robert Musil had said already a long time ago that the outcome of these probabality calculations is terrorism. It reflects a society which has lost any sense for truth.

In the absence of a public truth, the European debate suffers likewise under a lack of substance.

Susan Watkins has written for the London Book Review an interesting overview of recent publications about Europe. It allows one to gauge a bit better why this European dimension seems to be missing. The titles alone suggest already some reasons as to why Europe appears to be in such a dismal state of affairs:

- Un New Deal pour l’Europe by Michel Aglietta and Thomas Brand

- Gekaufte Zeit: Die vertagte Krise des demokratischen Kapitalismus by Wolfgang Streeck. The English translation of that would 'borrowed time'. It reflects a permanent postponement of the crisis of democratic capitalism. The crisis can be seen as a contortion of wishes for a democratic life and the need to face the reality of a Troika dictating policy. The pragmatic and practical adaptation to reality is too far away from the demand for democracy. And the Troika acts as if the sole interest is the stability of the currency and the smooth functioning of the money market. A variation of Michel Foucault would be any person asking but where to did all the money go to would be but a disturbing factor in this crisis management.

- Jürgen Habermas (translated by Ciaran Cronin) is well known for his emphasis upon the need to bridge the democratic gap but does not seem to come around to question the policy being practiced but stays within an accountability of how the economy works, and therefore requires from politics a crisis management but not a questioning thereof i.e. its very anti labour and anti trade union practices)

- For Europe!: Manifesto for a Postnational Revolution in Europe by Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Guy Verhofstadt. As a politician of the Greens in the European Parliament, Daniel Cohn-Bendit seeks solutions in a transnational concept and may exhaust himself in reducing this to some kind of declaration about a needed transition from one type of governance to another)

- Ulrich Beck (translated by Rodney Livingstone) as author of the risk society sees discourse as an expression of a normative logic which tries to persuade the other side not to take a closer look at reality, so that in the end both agree to look the other way. While describing the situation in Europe very precisely, Susan Watkins concludes that he falls short of drawing any practical conclusions about the nature of the crisis)

- The Future of Europe: Towards a Two-Speed EU? by Jean-Claude Piris - David Charter December 2012 http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n16/susan-watkins/vanity-and-venality

17. Imagine Europe

The risk of the debate going so negative that Europe cannot be imagined any longer as being the home for many diverse people all identifiable through their cultures, that is a given at the outset of the 21st century. Whether or not the continent will stay together remains to be seen. Some points are crucial to be reflected upon prior to making any prediction as to what will be the case at the end of this century.

after the end of Second World War, many questions were asked in relation to what was already the reason for First World War and before that on how nation states. For instance, Bismarck used war to bring about German unity. Human contact and relationships across borders were strong at least in the early part of the 20th century. An example of that is the film 'Jule and Jim'. By contrast, the film 'What a lovely game war is' showed what the elite and especially the aristocrats loved to do even if at the expense of common people. Solshenitzyn showed this in his novel 'August 1914'.
Europe was astonished by what emerged out of the 'Coal and Steel' unity but until 1989 was still divided. Social and economic cohesion was till 1999 at least a formible force thanks to the impact of the Structural Fund, but the bombardment of Kosovo ended that and made Europe again subject to classical politics and diplomacy seeking unity from outside and through constant expansion.
While the Maastricht Treaty: Article 161 (formerly the 151) defined the role of culture, it was much more Lennon's song 'image all the people' making peace and not going to war which gripped everyone. Underlining this pop cultural trend since the 1960'ties, it was the beginning of lyrics becoming key elements of what people would dream about but could only imagine with difficulties to be realized in their lives. This includes songs by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen with the latter being by far more melancholic even though closer to imaginary poetry. Yet when compared to how poetry spoke through Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Milton, while moving ever closer to Eliot's Wasteland. The end of poetry started once Michel Foucault observed that 'we have to discover the places of silence before the lyrical protest covers them up'.
The failure to ratify the EU Constitutional Treaty in 2005 left not only poets stranded, but also globalization became a slogan the moment there circulated the saying 'act locally, think globally'. Battered and bewildered by a global economy, the link to Europe as represented by the European Union became weaker and weaker. China made itself felt first of all as an influential power which can give artists still the space they desire when wishing to do something really big. That impact upon the art market has yet to be realized. Likewise museums became their own global corporations and used their brand names to export their exhibitions around the world. They are called blockbusters. Europe did not really know how to participate or engage itself in this conflicting trend between going global and staying at home. The outcome has been a strange plurality of different forms of expressions which reproduce the bewilderment with always the target being the art market, when in fact the main conflict is with the advertisement industry and the images it produces to sell products of design. Andy Warhol was perhaps one of the few artists who stayed on the artistic side while reproducing Marilyn Monroe in such a way that he lifted her out of the wrong impression of being just a nebulous figure of the cinema world. Some still tried the Expressionist method to counter the lies of this commercial world but they took on board models of football players instead of film stars while both were leaning towards mass consumption. Again it diffused the borders of a Europe to be imagined on its own terms.
While the Lisbon agenda meant to let Europe catch up with the rest of the industrial world and even surpass it, the failure of the EU Constitutional Treaty required some patching up. Consequently Merkel once she had assumed power in Germany initiated the Lisbon Treaty. It is another example of a carefully orchestrated top down measure, while the criticism of Merkel by Habermas indicates he has done nothing to improve the gap between citizens and EU Institutions. Recalling the warning 'mind the gap' whenever the tube stops in the London underground, cultural expression follows what is already well known rather than daring the new. Artists struggle with finding their own position within this limelight of past, present and future. While some take to monasteries to do their works in solitude, these religious enclaves and their religious art works no longer inspire so much as they have become at the most emblems of a past history which marked Europe over the ages. Definitely there is the Christian West and the Orthodox East with the influence of the Muslim world definitely felt not only at the edges but in midst of every major city in Europe. The controversies about whether or not a Moschee can be build indicates that. It leaves Europe in a transition with no one sure anymore if things are handled better if the overflow of consumption is stopped or else if virtual reality is used to expand Consumerism in still unknown areas of taste and knowledge. After all Europeans pride themselves with knowing their wines or what a good cheese tastes like. No wonder then if European Capitals of Culture attempt to capture these culinary side effects.
Imagine what will be the state of affairs in Europe after the EU elections 2014, this no one dares in reality to say out loud. Two tendencies will reinforce each others and determine the outcome, insofar as those who wish to return to the nationalist fold are good pretenders in being outraged as to what the European Union has done to their lives can coincide who had another Europe in mind when agreeing to the formation of the European Union. Those who could articulate a pro Europe and pro European Union position but within a critical framework of evaluation, they are, however, in the minority and at the moment still too weak to be heard by the general public. There is missing a conviction in Europe altogether.

A lot more coould be said about those times when poetry, philosophy and discussions meant people coming together and while drinking red wine and along with some bread and cheese, they would find words to query thoughts going far beyond what they could see. They could imagine possible consequences if this or that would be attempted. Likewise they would know if things would be heading in a wrong direction. Especially Italians would no that there was no point in insisting. Rather they would prefer to retreat into themselves and after a while come up again to the surface and continue going in another direction. They would do this with new energy and convinced things need not to go bad.

In short, Europe stands for the freedom to decide in which direction the development should go in. There is nothing which can force people by necessity that only this and no other direction ought to be followed. Revolt against all kinds of dictates has been the credo of Europeans in their love for freedom. Economic welfare is of importance, but the freedom to change direction is what matters the most.

There was also something true in what the political scientist Johannes Agnoli said about what would distinguish him from the students he was teaching. He knew what freedom meant for during the war he was taken a prisoner of war in Africa and literally buried in a fox hole of sand with only his head above the ground free. He wanted nothing but to get out of that physical jail. By comparison those who have only an abstract sense of freedom do not cherish what it means to him in concrete terms. Agnoli was worried about the 'Transformation of Democracy' and stated a revolution is brought about by letting people become concrete, that is they are able to comprehend themselves as complex human beings only understood with a multitude of categories whereas the state and the organizations have but a few categories. This echoes the view Dostoevsky took all along about the planned society for which the human soul was not made. Consequently the search was on for the soul of Europe in order to overcome all the bitter strives and wars which had engulfed the World twice in disastrous defeats for humanity.

Following the lines of thoughts of the Frankfurt School, there is still another matter to be taken up with regards to the radical imaginaire as envisioned by some political philosophers:

Zygmunt Bauman: Imagination since Cornelius Castoriadis and the Bourgeoisie imgination

“If you consider the SPD’s current situation, you will notice two different attitudes that are difficult to reconcile. On the one hand, there is an attempt to satisfy those who are paying the costs of the crisis, while on the other hand there is total confirmation of the economic model that is being realized in Germany. To quote Antonio Gramsci – the right wing has won the cultural war with the left.

What is the war about? According to Gramsci, the social situation and man’s social condition depend not on bargaining at the top or on political moves, but only on philosophy.

But not philosophy in the sense of university seminars, but the philosophy that is called either ideology or, more recently, imaginaire: – a term coined by Deleuze, later used by Castoriadis, and now avidly discussed by Charles Taylor.

Imaginaire is in other words how we imagine the world order, what the conditions for our actions are, and for what values it is worth struggling or, if necessary, make a sacrifice.

The bourgeois imaginaire has triumphed. I shall now present its most conspicuous features. A panacea for all social ills is an increase in output measures in terms of GDP – there are no other ways to improve mankind’s lot. But behind this assumption there lies a hidden, silent condition – one can increase the production of industrial commodities to no end, one can deliver more and more goods.“

Source: Zygmunt Bauman (2013) 150 years of Social Democracy, Leipzig: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

18. Selection of ECoC Cities

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/capitals/competing-cities_en.htm

Passing review of the cities which have so far been selected, it is difficult to make out a certain pattern. Rather selections are made in accordance with the set out criteria that a European Capital of Culture has to fulfil the European dimension and include its citizens. This is best done by having in place a remarkable cultural programme conveyed by artistic involvement.

Athens 1985 – Glasgow
2000 – 9 cities: cafe 9
Liverpool 2008
Linz 2009
Ruhr, Pecs, Istanbul 2010
Marseille and Kosice 2013
Sweden 2014
Mons 2015
Wroclaw and San Sebastian 2016
Aarhus and Paphos 2017
Valletta, Malta + Leuuwarden, Holland 2018
Italy, Bulgaria 2019 - selection process taking place 2013/2014
Greece in 2021

Competitions between cities: process of selection – short-listed and then the final selection. This is not always the case e.g. Valletta in Malta had no other city competing against it. The same applies whenever it is the turn of Luxembourg.

The work of the jury and its recommendations lays the groundwork for the task ahead, but this is not being always followed and therefore raises the question why not?

The role of the jury

ECoC cities have been moving steadily away from the original concept as articulated by Melina Mercouri in the hope to unify Europe through culture. Over and again a huge difference can be observed as to what the original bid promised to do and what was finally implemented. In a way the selection process does focus on the reasons why this is so. A main reason seems to be the reluctance of cities to hire right from the start an artistic director who could vouch for a continuity and consistency with regards to bringing the arts and culture to the fore. But the selection process has also been complicated by having at least two European Capitals of Culture per year and on special occasions three in 2010 and even 9 in 2000. That has increased the risk to water down the concept of culture in relation to Europe as original thought to be the prime purpose. Also the title has been misinterpreted to justify making use of this 'historical opportunity' or simply 'chance' for purely non cultural interests.

All this raises a question of how cities perform within a national-European context and what the jury composed of six national and seven European experts can muster in time to make a sound decision. All this takes place within a specific time frame laid out by the European Commission and to which the organizational unit of the respective Ministry of Culture has to adhere to, in order to ensure a public procedure is kept.

The Jury has two prime moments of intervention possibilities. The first review entails a pre selection with only a few cities being put on the short list for the second round. At the final review the Jury can assess once again what progress the respective candidate cities have made in the meantime, and on that basis they make a judgement as to which city will most likely fulfil the set out criteria by the European Commission for the selection process. Upholding the European dimension is one of the prime criterion so that every candidate city has to show and demonstrate how it intends to fulfil that.

The matter has not been discussed in detail since a difference prevails between the more research orientated approach adopted once universities become involved in the process and the monitoring and evaluation procedure prescribed by the European Commission and the jury. Given the limited power the European Commission has, and the legitimate power granted to local authorities, i.e. a mayor and the Municipal Council once the title has been designated within the national framework (as underlined by six of the 13 jury members being national representatives chosen by the respective Ministry of Culture of that specific member state), there is no real public debate about this lack of continuity between former, current and future ECoC cities with regards to both concept and outcomes for Europe's concept of culture.

Hence it would be decisive to know what is still the footprint of the European Capital of Culture idea as initiated by Melina Mercouri and how this idea has evolved, changed and been transformed over the years since 1985. There are by now more than 40 cities who have gone through this experience. That is a sufficient base to come up with some deeper insights into what works in favour of cultural development, what not.

It can be said that many ECoC cities seem no longer to orientate themselves along any notion of continuity but instead use one prime successful model which becomes the paradigm and justification for all what is to follow both in terms of applications made and what is then the final outcome. Two major divergences can be made out from the original concept, with Nicole Immerle pointing out a third one:

1) During the EU public consultation in 2011 the criteria of having to be a city and not a region was discussed. Linked to that point is the notion of urban space as being the real location where artistic work and innovation takes place. Such an urban culture is not necessarily given if spread out over an entire region. However Lille 2004 initiated the idea of networking with the surrounding areas, in order to solicit all inhabitants and visitors of that greater area in an overall cultural scheme. Others followed suit such as Ruhr 2010 with 53 cities forming one imaginary unit but which dissolved as soon as Ruhr 2010 closed its office after the year was over. Likewise Marseille 2013 puts stress on the fact that the entire province is involved. Ulrich Fuchs said he was sceptical at first about this linkage but in practice it worked out very well and has contributed to integrating Marseille with the rest of the province which tends to be by far richer and well organized than Marseille itself. That model leads repeatedly to similar attempts as shown in the case of Eindhoven in Holland for 2018 and is now the case in Greece with three cities applying together for 2021, namely Tripoli, Kalamata and Nafplion.

2) Since Glasgow started to use culture to refurbish urban places, urban regeneration has become a prime premise for many cities, including Liverpool '08 or now Marseille 2013. In looking at the advocacy of the Institute of Cultural Capitals in Liverpool, aside from promoting digital culture as part of the new infrastructure in the making, urban regeneration is the prime claim of success whenever a European Capital of Culture is evaluated.

3) Nicole Immerle in her still unpublished paper emphasizes that so far no border cities were given the designation. Bob Scott was strictly against that notion as he felt a ECoC city should be the national representative and therefore should not encompass more than one culture. For this reason Ruhr 2010 and not Görlitz as a city on the border with Poland was selected. But this is changing according to Nicole Immerle with both Marseille and Valletta 2018 being on the periphery or outer border of Europe. She makes, however, the interesting observation that even when these cities are at the international border of Europe they attempt to move back into main stream so as to erase the impression of being merely at the periphery. The reason for that tendency is in need of still further explanation.

19. This is not a door

This is no a door - abandoned house on Dafnomili in Athens 2013

If Europe is not to become an abandoned house because the European Union has neglected to keep a balance between economy and culture, then the European dimension will entail future perspectives for all citizens. Solutions would be found to the current crisis besetting almost all economies and social justice would prevail. The key principle of equality between all human beings shall be upheld not only by politics, but be practised as well in the economy and in society. That is crucial for understanding how culture and economy can go together. Louis Baeck distinguished between the Mediterranean and Atlantic tradition, insofar as the former includes the economy in culture and therefore makes the family household to be the single biggest decision maker when it comes to using and redistributing resources; by contrast the Atlantic tradition foresees the separation between culture and economy, so that culture has hardly any bearing on the economy.

Adorno and Horkheimer noted in their book 'Dialectic of Enlightenment' that this separation existed already in Ancient Greece. Odyssey went past the sirens and could hear their enchanting singing but he could not follow their songs because he was tied to the mast while his crew could not follow his order to untie him because they had wax in their ears and could not hear either him or the sirens' singing. They worked without pleasure as a consequence of that separation of culture and economy.

In Greece the economic crisis indicates where things can head towards if an abandoned house is mistake to be the door for the future. But this mistaken perception prevailed already long before it became known that the Greek deficit was unsustainable. Coupled with a lack of 'morality of payment', credits were piled up along side dated cheques as forms of payments which never occurred in time for people to meet their day by day obligations. At times payments were made after two years and then those who did get paid were counted as the lucky ones who succeeded in getting the money due to them. Nowadays that uncertainty has changed with the cuts in salaries and pensions. Indeed, no one is for sure how long the pension payments will last. Much stronger has become the deep sense of insecurity as to what the near future shall entail. As youngsters who are unemployed would put it, there is no chance that they can make plans to marry and have children. In the meantime, the aged population grows disproportionately and thereby burdens even more so future generations with what is after all a moral obligation, namely to take care of the elderly and of the weak. Yet the weakest of all is always the one who has not one Euro to his name and must exist if not outright into the streets then as an 'invisible beggar' for state or more often church support, since completely dependent upon benevolent gestures of society. At the same time, many are facing innumerable invisible borders which are a stark contradiction to the open borders of Europe.

It is as if all human communication has ended. Even if this is an exaggeration, it does reflect personal experiences like a deep loss of love. Something has been said about the need to think of a new theory of love, a love not based on the romantic notion of being perpetually an outsider to society. That failure came due to not discussing and heeding the notion of faithfulness as being on the main principles and norms of society. There is the tragedy of the poet Hölderlin who fled all the way to Paris after the husband of his beloved confronted him with the question what he is doing. Being weak and without an own economic base vis a business man, he had no other choice but to flee. That created for him first a terrible loneliness and then after her early death a dreadful loss. And even though Gellner at LSE would say a revolutionary is the one who does not stop at the threshold to the bedroom, any trespassing of social ethical rules has implications and consequences.

Likewise the one sided approach of radical elements in society perpetuates the idea of life as being a struggle and hence a constant conflict, so there is not even a chance to agree to disagree. It perceives as well politics as just a game and therefore not to be taken serious.

In any case, most serious is to draw culture into the political process and thereby to risk to lose out on any honesty in critical reflections as to what is happening in the name of 'people'. There is the interesting thesis by Liana Sakelliou-Schulz about the state needing culture to mask its own brutal way of using violence to govern as if there exists no law. (see Fifth Seminar, “Cultural Actions for Europe.” Athens 1994)

Going back to how Melina Mercouri wished to introduce culture and therefore propagate cultural policy at EU level through the project of European Capitals of Culture, a closer look is needed if this has not led altogether culture astray? It would be important to work out the differences in understanding the term 'culture', and thereby begin to alter policy measures, so that culture does not become and remains a slave of the economy as the master able to judge whether or not culture or any of its artefacts is useful or not. For besides production and creativity, there is also speculation e.g. of real estate in London and what changes this brings about when those with higher incomes move out or never into a certain area or for a matter of fact to the entire city.

Economic growth as magic wand does not offer a solution especially not if there is a lack of cultural adaptation to future needs. This is definitely not a door to go through. The term 'economic growth' cannot be transposed onto culture. There is no growth in the arts. As Natalie Sarraute puts it Kafka would have written like Dostoevsky had he lived at the same time, but by the time Kafka wrestled with the world, the scientists had gone beyond human understanding as made explicit in their experiments with gas during First World War. Kafka had to write differently to explain what situation the human being faced but his writings cannot be judged whether or not they meant a progress over time had manifested itself in literature at the beginning of the 20th century.
Any categorical imperative for political responsibility means in reality no responsibility is assumed by European Capitals of Culture for what is happening to culture elsewhere and throughout Europe. There has to be found another way of linking culture to such political responsibility that cultural contributions can be made. For instance, in the case of Greece this would mean clarification of the meaning of law while examining how coercion plays out given a post colonial mind set.
European identity does not result out of cultural diversity but remains determined by and limited to the national state with the church still playing a decisive role. Hence Patriotism = Nationalism (see interview with philosopher Stelios Ramfos in Kathimerini, 14.10.2013 – extreme identity as response to insecurity) upholds the illusion of national sovereignty and prevents that any progress is made in terms of cultural identity meaning at the same time giving space to the articulation of European identity.
In almost all decision making processes, artists and the cultural sector remain to be without a voice. Only when some effort is made as was the case with the innovative projects funded under Article 10 of the ERDF, then city managers or mayors gave the cultural sector some say in planning decisions. In Galway this meant even hiring a cultural heritage officer who had to approve all development plans before they could be implemented. But in reference to culture, this is not the only thing of importance. Crucial for people to find their way and retain a free conscience is that they do not lose the ability to listen to their inner voice. Likewise of importance is what Michel Focault observes about how rare it is in man's history that the voice of reason is listened to. For writers, but not only, it has been a challenge to create the polyphonic space so many voices, indeed multiple voices can be heard. That differs from the market place and its voices letting be heard only the sales pitch. Also voices, sound and memory track can reveal which cities become alive and transform themselves suddenly where before only squalor and poverty ruled? Likewise the trend towards 'smart markets' and the extension of design into spaces indicates what the arts can do and contribute when human wishes for a life worth living becomes a part of the designed city. That this not necessarily the case and instead a deeply pessimistic note can be struck, this is shown in a poem by Cavafy about an old man who gets dizzy from too much remembrance and which touches upon regrets of not having lived fully aware of all the potentials life holds. Bataille may even be right with his theory that at times values are established by wasting not only rare resources but life itself.

An old man – The canon

At the noisy end of the café, head bent
over the table, an old man sits alone,
a newspaper in front of him.

And in the miserable banality of old age
he thinks how little he enjoyed the years
when he had strength, eloquence, and looks.

He knows he’s aged a lot: he sees it, feels it.
Yet it seems he was young just yesterday.
So brief an interval, so very brief.

And he thinks of Prudence, how it fooled him,
how he always believed—what madness—
that cheat who said: “Tomorrow. You have plenty of time.”

He remembers impulses bridled, the joy
he sacrificed. Every chance he lost
now mocks his senseless caution.

But so much thinking, so much remembering
makes the old man dizzy. He falls asleep,
his head resting on the café table.

Translated by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

(C.P. Cavafy, Collected Poems. Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Edited by George Savidis. Revised Edition. Princeton University Press, 1992)

Cavafy's poem can be linked to the last line in Seferis' poem about the Argonauts: “no remembrance. Justice.” It seems once a culture cannot guarantee survival any longer at home, it sends its best men on a journey. The furry in Greece can be explained by knowing only too well what this means. For going into the unknown is the equivalent to not knowing if those who went on a journey into the unknown will ever return in time. Those who stay behind may only know too well that even if they succeed and return home eventually, it will be too late. Once a culture has been tainted by the colour 'black', the unknown becomes a danger since it blackens out any inspiration to try and to find a solution by staying at home. No wonder then if Fascists dress in black shirts and resort to mythical symbols which wield an axe against life. For the only thing they have is a belief in a mythical past projected like an end vision upon the future in order to compensate for all the sacrifices and defeats in the present to go on without any meaning or sense in life itself. As this is becoming a wide spread phenomenon throughout Europe, the European Union is at risk to lose culture altogether although needed for a democratic life with future.

20. The term 'capital' in the ECoC title

One of the most neglected component whenever a city seeks to implement for one year a cultural programme after having been designated the ECoC title, is the term 'capital'. It hardly ever plays an assuming role when working out the programme or what shapes in the end the entire implementation process. The question has to be asked whether this is due to a conscious rejection of anything having to do with a 'capital' as used to be Paris, London or Berlin prior to the formation of the European Union? Likewise it may have to do with the reluctance to mix culture with political matters even though it would be a simple and most natural step to have both Cultural Committees of the European Parliament and of the European Council - yes, the exist as duplicates at European level - met jointly at least once during this decisive year in the respective city. This would ensure another verification of EU cultural policy both in terms of what happens in cities and how different EU policy is perceived from such a local level. By asking for such a joint meeting of the two committees something else shall be strengthened, namely the cultural consensus about what should be put on the cultural agenda of the EU.

Even if this proposal is not taken up, Peter Inkei of the Budapest Observatory notes something else:

„In the 2010s no capital of culture is going to coincide with the EU presidency. Earlier, with fewer member states, chances were greater. It happened twice to Germany (1988 Berlin, 1999 Weimar) and France (1989 Paris, 2000 Avignon). In spring 2002, Salamanca was the last capital of culture in a presidency country, remembered with a concert hall and an exhibition centre.“ ( Budapest Observatory – Peter Inkei – Sept. 2013)

As was the case with the EU CIED conference held in Leipzig during the German Presidency in 1999, important issues can be discussed such as cultural statistics, equal distribution of culture resources and resources for cultural work, cultural networks as sources of opportunities, and what language can express best the human dimension of Europe. In 1999 a lot of mediation was needed to overcome the potential rift due to the bombardment of Kosovo and what this did to the peace dimension of Europe. Here Michael D. Higgins held an important lecture about the words seldom heard in Europe but in need of if people are to find a way of coming together.

Given the risk of returning to violence and war, culture is needed to advance the cause of freedom and peace. This is not merely the rule of the law, but requires honest reflections to make things possible. That is after all the substance of democracy. It requires in turn literacy and freedom of expression, something which is not self understood especially if poverty of experience prevails and more so digital literacy. The latter is required to survive in the Information Society which sidelines and excludes many not able to keep up with these technological changes. In view of these and other challenges to democratic governance, it is the responsibility of European Capitals of Culture to further cultural governance at local level. That is all the more needed if stringent programmes to realize this human aspiration and dream are not funded by EU programmes now being designed for the period 2014-2020 as being for an 'economy of experience' and a 'Creative Europe' based primarily on promoting the film industry and the media sector while neglecting really the cultural work required to uphold democracy.

Prior to everything else, responsibility for everything is the ethical credo of a great writer. Solshenitzyn said that a writer must be a second government and be responsible to everything which is happening in the country. By the very same token, a city which assumes the title of European Capital of Culture should be responsible at the very least to what is happening to cultures throughout Europe. But the reduced sense most ECoC cities take the designated title to mean explains why almost all miss out on a historic opportunity. The latter can be best understood by reading the collection of short stories by Stefan Zweig to which he gave the title 'Sternstunde der Menschheit / hours of humanity'. He shows how a small turn of event can alter the course of history like the invention of the 'Marseille' as the French National Hymn during First World War, the defeat of Napolean in Waterloo or how Constantinople fell despite its walls due to having left open the Kerka door. Theses are the materials with which art works because details matter to show how humanity proceeds. At the very least European Capitals of Culture should reflect the times people live in and through the cultural programme being implemented show them possibilities to leave behind as if life is sealed by fate and to start shaping their own destiny. Victor Hugo would be the first to voice his objection if the path to a true revolution would not mean taking things into your own hands and be safeguard at the same time by something called 'love for people'. To realize this, ECoC would need to invent new concepts for politics by articulating other than a a romantic version and indeed even theory of love. No one wishes to be an outsider to society while freedom itself cannot be based on the naive assumption to be against something would guarantee a free path of development in future.

When Athens became the first ECoC in 1985, Paris was the natural cultural capital of Europe. Today this might be Berlin to some extent, but there are many more and very interesting cities which have put themselves on the map due to the cultural activities which they let unfold at their local level. For instance, there is Glasgow and its annual street festival, but also Cannes and its yearly film festival manages to attract many people just as Venice and the Biennale, etc. Even Bilbao has been transformed due to the Guggenheim museum sending out a spectacular message. It indicates that cities wish and can be known through culture even if it means at first just an alteration in the image being projected abroad.

It explains why city branding and city image have become crucial tools and criteria in assessments as to whether or not a city has a viable economic structure and a success as ECoC. When Liverpool became ECoC in 2008, the city undertook efforts to alter its negative image as a dirty and run down port city left behind after the collapse of the Empire. Liverpool '08 managed to transform itself into something positive and even address the post colonial syndrome by opening up a museum dedicated to the history of slavery. Hence a lot of funds went into this particular scheme of transformation. All this is based on the assumption of something like a self fulfilling prophecy so that when visitors come to the city in the expectation of having a good time, they will indeed have a good time since they will also be willing to pay in order to make sure they did not make a mistake in their assumption. Such positive myths have naturally their equivalent negative myths. Once a city or part of the city is stuck with such a negative etiquette, it seems difficult to alter this.

The city of Cardiff had to struggle for a long time before people overcame their fear of the former coal port since they ascribed it as a place of crime and prostitution and ventured again down into that area to enjoy an outing. As this reflects likes and dislikes, investments are made according to these subtle but also often straight forward barometers. And once this kind of theory of attraction takes over, then 'fulfilment of place' gets even more attention than 'fulfilment in a job' even though it is a puzzle how can people work under miserable and precarious working conditions and then go out to really enjoy themselves, especially when they feel to their bones jeopardized in whatever they do?

Interesting is here the negative culture of going on on a binge to get simply drunk and then behave like a wild animal, or else as Ulrich Fuchs noted when Marseille 2013 started its public events in the streets and 500 000 people turned up, that there was no drinking and therefore no ugly incidence - an amazing feat in terms of security and safety and therefore something which is not the very lest self understood when compared to other cultural contexts in which loud and rude behaviour in public becomes the norm under the guise of pretending to have a good time. Cities do struggle with collective behaviour like these and ECoC cities can make a contribution to further responsibility not only for oneself but also for others. In that sense, public behaviour can fill public spaces with elements of truths which everyone seeks to find and to discover when visiting another city or else just attempting to see the city in which one lives with new or different eyes.

21. Cultural governance

Cultural governance relies on cultural consensus about the basic values which should govern the relationship between Europe and the European Union. This has to fulfil the European Dimension.

Recommendations

1. Initiate a process of clarification what the term 'capital' in the title means, if anything at all, since this component of responsibility as to what is happening to culture in Europe seems to have been completely forgotten or is being systematically ignored as if not wishing to deal with the political dimesnion of EU cultural policy.

2. Create an archive to allow for memory work about the unfolding stories of ECoC cities

Conclusions

The reason why the European dimension is missing has been explained here only partially. Too many details needed to be named before the puzzle becomes a clearer picture. One confusion about this is the metaphorical language being used at the moment and thereby covers up the mere fact that Europe finds itself in a huge transition. While the nationally orientated societies struggle with becoming themselves multi cultural, the cultural adaptation process has not gone far enough as of yet to modernise Europe as a whole. At the same time, it is not helpful when the EU stays on a steady course of mere expansion without knowing really how to maintain the quality of governance in any meaningful democratic sense. As one film maker tries to do, he invents the magical 29th member in addition to the already existing 28, so that space for the imagination is created. The illusion national politicians tend to create, and this includes Melina Mercouri, is when she was asked if she is European, her reply ended up in a mere tautology as if Greece and Europe are identical. This cannot be the case since the whole is larger than its parts while the philosophical truism of Adorno, the whole is not the truth, needs to be upheld.

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The missing European dimension by Hatto Fischer 2013

Evaluation of the European Capitals of Culture in 2012, Guimarães (Portugal) and Maribor (Slovenia)