A New Year, a New Strategy: Building Europe’s Future Together

We wish you a happy and fulfilling New Year,

At the European Cultural Foundation, we have long believed that culture is the cornerstone of European unity. For over 70 years, we have worked to foster a shared sense of belonging across the continent. Today, this mission feels more urgent than ever, and therefore, it remains the heart of our new strategy 2025-2029.

Culture connects us.

Culture challenges our assumptions, bridges divides, and fosters empathy. In a time when politics seems more divisive than ever, culture offers a way to transcend borders, both physical and ideological.

Libraries are the European Social Network.

Our work with libraries across Europe has shown how these spaces can become hubs of community and solidarity. Libraries, often overlooked in conversations about infrastructure, are, in fact, vital to the social fabric of our societies. They offer a space where people come together to learn, share, and imagine a better future. They are spaces where people can engage with one another, confront their differences, and build a collective vision for the future. This is the kind of work that Europe needs now.

Defending Democracy in the Digital Age.

Europe is increasingly influenced by the digital world, and this presents both opportunities and risks. We are all too familiar with the threats: misinformation, online hate speech, and the erosion of democratic norms in the digital space. These issues don’t just undermine individual countries; they pose a real threat to Europe as a whole.

That’s why digital citizenship is another central pillar of our new strategy. We are working to promote critical thinking, digital literacy, and responsible online engagement. The digital space can be a force for good, but only if we equip people with the tools to navigate it responsibly.

Culture of Solidarity: A Lifeline in Crisis.

In times of uncertainty, solidarity is more than a buzzword—it’s a lifeline. This is why we will use our Culture of Solidarity Fund to support civic-led cultural initiatives that foster collaboration and solidarity across borders, offering hope and connection at a time when it is so easy to feel isolated and desperate.

The Culture of Solidarity Fund has already supported hundreds of initiatives in 30 countries. These projects range from grassroots community initiatives to large-scale collaborations, all with one common goal: keeping Europe connected, even in times of crisis and uncertainty.

The European Funding Challenge: A Call to Philanthropy.

One of the greatest challenges we face in the coming years is securing sustainable funding for this important work. This is why we are calling for a new wave of philanthropy with a European purpose. More than 99% of Europe’s philanthropic funding is focused on national or regional issues. But most of the challenges we face today are pan-European, and they require pan-European solutions. We need a new approach to philanthropy—one that transcends borders and invests in the European common good. By facilitating the sharing, pooling and scaling of resources, we aim to create a more sustainable funding model that can support Europe’s civil society for the long term.

More than an office.

After 50 years we are moving. This is not just to a new address but a different way of working. We will share our new working space and together create a home for international cultural cooperation in the centre of Amsterdam. We will create new synergies and opportunities.

We are determined.

We are acutely aware of the work that lies ahead. The European Cultural Foundation is not just here to weather the storms—we are here to shape a better future. And the future we envision is one where Europe remains united, resilient, and hopeful.

Europe’s future depends on the choices we make today. We cannot afford to take our European unity for granted. Now is the time to invest in the bonds that hold us together—through culture, through solidarity, and through a shared commitment to the common good. The challenges we face are great but so is our determination.

Please find our new strategy here. In case you missed it, here is the What Can Culture Do? listening tour report that helped shape our new 5-year strategy.

We look forward to being in touch soon.

Andre Wilkens and the team of the European Cultural Foundation