Veszprém-Balaton ECoC Programme to Receive International Partners for 2023

A decision of the European Parliament and of the Council allowing the cities originally designated to host the European Capital of Culture title in 2021 (Timișoara, Romania and Elefsina, Greece) to postpone their ECoC year to 2023 came into force on 1st January. 

The idea of a request for postponement was initially raised by these two cities last spring as a result of the critical slowdown in their preparation for European Capital of Culture 2021 caused by the coronavirus epidemic (a lockdown, the closing of cultural venues, the cancellation of cultural events, restrictions on the physical crossing of borders etc.). It became clear that Timișoara and Elefsina could not possibly complete preparations in due time for 2021, as originally planned.

The impact of the pandemic situation appears to be particularly strong and negative for 2020 title holders Rijeka (Croatia) and Galway (Ireland) as they had to cancel their programmes or postpone these for an indefinite period of time from March 2020. 

Decision (EU) 2020/2229 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 December 2020 amending Decision No 445/2014/EU establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033 - among other regulations - provides the cities holding the title in 2020 with the possiblity to continue implementing their cultural programmes until 30 April 2021 without changing the year of designation.  During the consultation process that preceded the decision, Veszprém in accordance with the solidarity existing between European Member States gave its continued support to the solution laid down in the Decision. 

“A change of international partners is not entirely new to us, as we counted on a city from the UK according to the original decision for 2023; due to Brexit, however, this did not come to stand and Veszprém was to hold the ECoC 2023 title singly. We invited our twin city, Sepsiszentgyörgy from Szeklerland to set up an international cultural cooperation scheme in 2020,” – said Commissioner Tibor Navracsics.

Mayor Gyula Porga likewise gave his welcome to Elefsina and Timișoara joining  in 2023. He expressed his hopes for forging partnerships similar to those with Tartu (ECoC 2024, Veszprém’s Estonian twin city), Debrecen and Győr (Hungarian ECoC bid finalists). 

2023 will thus usher in new cooperation opportunities, not competition, which is one of the fundamental values of the European Capital of Culture programme. With Timișoara and Elefsina joining up in 2023 new areas will open up for the extension and development of our international links and ties, with mutual support received from the parties. Given the fact that our cities, programmes and cultural characteristics diverge greatly, there cannot really be competition between us in terms of tourism.

Hungary will hold the Presidency of the Visegrad Group in 2021-2022 (from July 2021 to 30th June 2022) as well as the Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers (May to November 2021): both present good opportunities to make the Veszprém-Balaton region internationally well-known before 2023.

A postponement for the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme has nevertheless not been necessary. Naturally, the coronavirus epidemic does affect preparations in Veszprém, as well, but as a result of multiple rounds of replanning a new shedule has been successfully set up and the desired pace of activities can be maintained.