Artistic freedom at risk: Milo Rau asks EU Commissioner Micallef for support

ARTISTIC FREEDOM AT RISK: MILO RAU ASKS EU COMMISSIONER MICALLEF FOR SUPPORT

Today, at the European Festivals Association (EFA) Round Table with Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Milo Rau — Artistic Director of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) and representative of RESISTANCE NOW TOGETHER — encouraged the European Commission to strongly consider a European Artistic Freedom Act (EAFA) to safeguard artistic freedom and institutional autonomy in the cultural sector.

Milo Rau took the opportunity to address the Commissioner at a round table in Brussels on 3 February organised by the European Festivals Association, by declaring: : “Artistic freedom and institutional autonomy in the cultural sector are under threat. We are calling on the EU to take concrete measures.”

RESISTANCE NOW TOGETHER – a group of cultural institutions, legal experts, networks, and activists – is currently working to bring to life a proposal for this act which is to be presented in spring 2026. This is a direct outcome of the open letter, published in November 2024, calling on the EU to take concrete measures to protect artistic freedom, which immediately rallied 200 cultural institutions from 40 countries and reached 100 million people.

What the EAFA Would Do

The EAFA would transform artistic freedom from a principle into a practical, enforceable right, securing an environment in which artists and cultural institutions can operate without fear of censorship or retaliation and actively contribute to a democratic, diverse, and resilient Europe. In an era of polarisation, disinformation, and the ongoing erosion of civic space, Europe must act decisively to uphold its core values. As Milo Rau put it in his speech: “Culture is not a matter for individual countries. Culture is at the heart of our democratic values and is of paramount importance for civil society.”

Main goals of the EAFA

• Guarantee rights of artists and cultural institutions to create, perform, exhibit and distribute works free from censorship, discrimination, or political interference.
• Ensure access for citizens and residents to diverse and independent artistic content.
• Safeguard institutional independence, protecting public cultural bodies from political control.
• Promote cross-border cooperation and ensure fair conditions within the internal market for cultural services.

Read the Mission Statement Why Europe Needs a European Artistic Freedom Act.