Brussels, 1 October
Member of the European Parliament Željana Zovko was invited to the talkshow “Ici l’ Europe” of the French news channel France24. The debate was about cultural heritage and cultural identity in Europe and how the EU helps to preserve it. Zovko emphasised the importance of a policy on the promotion and the protection of culture.
According to Zovko, culture does not only identify us, it also has a strong impact on our economy. As Croatian Member of the European Parliament, Zovko experiences the effects of culture and the tourism it attracts in her everyday life. The contribution of tourism to Croatia’s gross domestic product is higher than 20% with a total of more than 10 billion euros in revenues in 2018.
One of the challenges Zovko experiences in the European Parliament is to connect the general interest in the promotion of culture with the allocation of the necessary budgetary means. It is crucial for the EU to invest in cultural activities and to stimulate artists. For this reason, Zovko applauded the commitment of the Commission to invest more in the Creative Europe program supporting the activities of the cultural and audiovisual sectors. Also the promise to deliver the EP’s call to triple the budget for Erasmus and was warmly welcomed. By giving youngsters the opportunity to travel through Europe and to discover and experience other cultures, the EU rises the awareness and the respect for our cultural heritage and identity.
The other guests in the talk show were Dominic Ruiz Devesa, a Spanish MEP for S&D, and Laurence Farreng, French MEP for Renew Europe. The episode of “Ici l’ Europe” will be broadcasted daily from Saturday 5 october till Tuesday 8 October on France24.