Democracy, ecology, culture: three interdependent battles for a competitive Europe
A reflection by Juliette Prissard, General Delegate of Eurocinema and REBOOT Advisory Board Member
The 2024 European elections and Ursula von der Leyen's reappointment as head of the Commission marked a key moment to rethink the links between culture, democracy, and ecology. These three areas, often addressed separately, are nevertheless closely linked and crucial to the future of the continent and its competitiveness. For it is culture that shapes soc iety and supports democracy in a context of ecological and technological upheaval.
During her first term, Ursula von der Leyen focused her policy on digital technology and ecological transition. However, while the audiovisual industry was encouraged to reduce its emissions, the Commission remained hardly silent on the colossal energy footprint of digital technology, particularly artificial intelligence. I would add that the cultural dimension of ecology—the role of stories, images, and works of art in raising awareness—has been (and remains) largely ignored. Yet culture, which is omnipresent in our societies, contributes powerfully to the formation of the collective imagination and the transformation of behaviors.
“Art” produces works, and “culture” refers to our relationship to these works and how we interpret them. Culture is therefore alive, evolving, and reflects changes in society. It is not frozen in tradition: it thrives on debate, disagreement, and the confrontation of different points of view. Inthis sense, culture is the "factory of dissent," which is essential to a pluralistic democracy. Without free and diverse culture, there can be no authentic democracy, because it is through artistic creation that the multiplicity of voices and criticism of power are expressed.
Democracy and freedom of creation are therefore interdependent. The former provides the space necessary for artistic expression, while the latter nourishes democratic vitality by constantly questioning certainties and hierarchies. But these two pillars are now threatened by numerous authoritarian and illiberal abuses. Digital technology, which has become the new agora, amplifies these dangers. Social networks, dominated by a few large companies, shape public opinion through opaque algorithms. The ideal of a free internet has been transformed into a space controlled by a transnational oligopoly, which data-capture logic jeopardizes both democracy and cultural diversity.
In this deregulated technological universe, creation is increasingly equated with technological innovation rather than artistic expression. This shift reduces the critical and political significance of culture. Yet at a time when humanity is facing an ecological crisis, resource scarcity, major geopolitical confrontations, and the effects of global warming, society will need all its critical and creative capacities to rethink its relationship with the world.
Culture, democracy, and ecology thus form an inseparable triptych for a free and competitive Europe. Without freedom of creation, there can be no true democratic debate, let alone economic debate; without critical culture, there can be no ecological awareness; without a vibrant democracy, culture and ecology become tools for the production of data! It is in art, storytelling, and critical thinking that we find the key to a Europe that is competitive, but also human and sustainable.
