Europese integratie: een historierijk ideaal (en)

Joan Miró exhibition at the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris. EFE.

One of the first known discourses on Europe was written by a Spanish humanist, Andrés Laguna, a doctor from Segovia. Laguna trained in Paris and travelled through France, England, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany during the turbulent Reformation era that shook religious unity to its core and threatened the 'spiritual unity' of the continent. In his 'European Discourse' he called for peace, understanding and a return to harmony between the continent's nations and empires, without the political intent of today's European project, but with the unequivocal aim of claiming common roots. This awareness of belonging to a cultural unit and a civil society that go beyond national borders, and those even more impermeable language barriers, is not then new to Spain. Despite the fact that at certain times it has turned its back on Europe, Spain's pro-European attitude is almost as old as the idea of Europe itself.

Holding the EU i Presidency for the next six months is, therefore, not only a source of pride and a responsibility, but, above all, an opportunity to pour all that pro-European inspiration into concrete tasks and getting things done. And it is the aim of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero i's government to endow these tasks and these achievements with cultural and artistic substance, to make them comprehensible, human and accessible. A country's cultural expression is its soul, its starting point and its destination, and whatever political actions are undertaken must always take this fact into account.

Culture, the best reflection of the idea of Europe

Moreover, culture is the area where it is easiest to build and defend an idea of Europe: ties, connections, common journeys. Spanish culture - its art and intellectual expression - is and always has been the result of encounters with diversity and other cultures. 21st-century Spain is an example of real commitment to multiculturalism, which should always be accompanied by a parallel commitment to human rights beyond historical or social reasons, to be in line with the only acceptable interpretation from Europe's point of view.

Europe looking inwards and looking outwards: this is the perspective from which we intend to hold the Presidency of the EU for the next months. For this reason, and to achieve this, alongside government actions to improve the well-being of the people of Europe and to make the future clearer in terms of the challenges facing Europe and the rest of the world in all spheres, we have made a far-reaching and ambitious cultural commitment which will serve as a meeting point, a public space in which to reflect, dream and admire.

Both public and private cultural bodies have been involved in this and the work has been shared with Belgium and Hungary, the other two countries that will accompany Spain in the EU Presidency before assuming the Presidency themselves in the following two terms. This new formula, the EUTRIO, which is being implemented for the first time, is already a statement of intent: the importance of working together and collaborating with each other, back and forth.

Spain's autonomous communities and city councils have contributed with their programmes to add cultural colour to the Presidency, introducing vary varied elements and taking it to the furthest corners of Spain. This is the double path which must always be followed: reaching everyone and giving everyone the chance to reach others.

Key aspects of the cultural programme

Of course, the core values on which this cultural framework has been built coincide to a large extent with the political aims of the Presidency: Heritage and contemporary artists, Equality between men and women, Innovation, sustainable development, Intercultural dialogue, diversity, and a Europe which educates. A series of events with different formats and content will take place around these objectives and will showcase Spain and Europe's deep well of thought and creativity.

Yet, as we have said, Spain is not just looking inwards, but also outwards. For this reason there will also be an extensive programme designed, in its essence, by Casa de América, Casa Sefarad-Israel, Casa Árabe, Casa África, Casa Asia and the recently formed Casa del Mediterráneo, which will make Spain the crossroads and the meeting point that it has been on so many occasions throughout history and hopes to continue to be. Under the generic heading Cultures, Continents, Civilisations: an alliance for the 21st century, we will open ourselves up to the Independence Bicentenaries of the Latin American countries, to the colossal rise of Asia, to unknown Africa, to the always close-at-hand Arab world, to the Mediterranean culture that is so much our own, and to the alluring identity of that eternal homeland that is Sefarad, along with other directions.

The cultural task will remain within Spain's borders or consigned to geographic areas of special interest such as Brussels, Budapest or Shanghai but will unfold throughout the world as part of a massive cultural effort. The Spanish embassies on five continents, from Denmark to Argentina, via Paris, and from the Unites States to Zimbabwe, will organise events to showcase the current state of Spanish culture. It is worth mentioning the uninterrupted reading of El Quijote in L’Aquila, a symbolic site where Spain is collaborating on the reconstruction work. Or the work done by the embassy in Brussels, which as part of a broad programme will organise a screening of the film Los caminos de la memoria, by José Luis Peñafuerte, and will bring together a group of Spanish exiles from the Civil War in an emotional and moving event.

Music will be used to inaugurate the Spanish Presidency in each country. Concerts of all kinds, classical music, Spanish music, zarzuela, opera, mestizo music, etc. will mark the beginning of the six-month tenure. Ballet performances, electronic music festivals and all kinds of events with music as the protagonist will continue to be held throughout the term. Flamenco, however, will be an essential part of the programme: special festivals will be held in Great Britain and the United States to showcase the old and new styles in the genre and will serve to introduce up-and-coming figures.

A large number of countries will hold Spanish or European film seasons with new films, many of which have not been able to break into commercial circuits and therefore have not had the opportunity to be screened there. For its part, the Filmoteca Española has created an ambitious special programme that includes recently-restored European cinematography treasures.

There will be painting exhibitions - Picasso in New York's Metropolitan Museum, for example -, literary events - a tribute to Miguel Hernández in Hungary on his centenary, a writers' festival in Prague, among many others -, plays - La vida es sueño by Calderón in Argentina and Naumachia by La Fura dels Baus in Norway - and innumerable events of every kind that will contribute to extending Spanish culture throughout the world and underline its variety and strength. The economic and cultural value of Spanish will also be highlighted through diverse events.

Lastly, during the Presidency we offer Europe one of the most vibrant and richest aspects of our heritage: the festivals which are held in the four corners of the peninsular and the islands every year, with programmes that bring diverse and fascinating cultural events to the remotest areas and to the most isolated individuals. In The Festivals of Spain we will bring together the programmes that these festivals organise throughout the six months: from the International Festival of Music and Dance in Grenada and the Sónar Music and Digital Art Festival, to Universimad in Madrid and the Religious Music Festival in Cuenca, Spain will be heard throughout Europe.