Culture under far-right pressure: how to resist?

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28 January 2025, KVS Brussels 

Organizers: Louis Paul Boonkring and PAC-Brussels

The influence of right-wing and extreme-right ideologies continues to grow in Europe. Worse still: in several countries, right-wing and extreme-right parties hold significant power. It is striking how culture and media are immediately targeted. 

In Italy, Meloni has virtually dismantled the public broadcaster RAI by dismissing all critical journalists. In Slovakia, the director of the National Theatre and the National Museum were dismissed for “political activism.” In France, the media empire has fallen into the hands of the far-right billionaire Vincent Bolloré. In the Netherlands, significant cuts have been made to cultural offerings. In Flanders, Vlaams Belang targets so-called “subsidy hogs,” and so on. 

On January 28, we will discuss this topic from two perspectives: how culture and the socio-cultural sector are being attacked in various European countries, and how the cultural sector itself can arm itself against the pressures of the far-right. 

Pascal Gielen, author and full professor of cultural sociology associated with the Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts (ARIA) at the University of Antwerp, has been asked to deliver the opening address. He will also discuss his book Trust, in which he explores how we can break through the existing culture of mistrust. In his book, he describes the crucial role of cultural commons — the shared “common” life and its habits, customs, knowledge, and values. 

After the introduction, we will hear from Members of the European Parliament from Italy, the Netherlands, and Hungary. They will report on what is happening in their countries, where the far-right is either in power or wields significant influence, but also on how the cultural sector (or more broadly) is responding to this situation. Are new practices emerging? A new underground culture? 

 We invite the following speakers: 

  • Klara Dobrev (Hungary): A Hungarian leftist politician who served as Vice President of the European Parliament from July 2019 to January 2022. 
  • Brando Benifei (Italy): Began his political career in 2002 with the Democrats of the Left. In 2007, he joined the Democratic Party, and he has been a member of the European Parliament since 2014, reelected in 2019 and 2024. 
  • Thijs Reuten (Netherlands): A Dutch politician from the Labour Party (PvdA). He has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2021 and was reelected in June 2024. 

Following this, representatives of the Belgian cultural and socio-cultural sectors will share their insights on how best to deal with the increasing far-right pressure on culture and society in general. 

 We invite the following speakers: 

  • Michaël De Cock, Artistic Director of KVS.
  • Pierre Thys, General and Artistic Director of Théâtre National. 
  • Saddie Choua, PhD researcher at the RITCS film school in Brussels and lecturer at Sint Lucas School of Arts Antwerp and RITCS. Member of the artists’ collective ROBIN. 
  • Sarah Deliamchine, Director of PAC (Présence et Action Culturelles), an ecosocialist movement. 
  • Anne-Sophie Vanneste will moderate the discussion. 

Practical information

  • Date and Time: Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 7:30 PM 
  • Location: KVS, Lakensestraat 146, Brussels (5th floor) 
  • Languages: Presentations by Pascal Gielen and the Members of the European Parliament will be in English. Translation to French will be provided. 
  • Admission: €5 (for LPB-kring and PAC members) – €8 (for others) Free for students/those with increased compensation 
  • Bank details: BE 47 8919 3411 7080 (LPB-kring) 
  • Registration and more information: lpboonkring@hotmail.com