Europe’s strongest army is useless if citizens do not believe in what it protects. A Doppelstrategie for Europe means equal investment in hard power and soft power. Europe's security is not just about borders. It is about belonging. Read here: shorturl.at/89EBO #europeanculturalfoundation

Want to know what Trump's UNGA speech was all about and, more importantly, how 🇪🇺 can escape traps that are being set? read @pawelzerka.bsky.social's brilliant report "Reality Show: Why 🇪🇺 must not cave in" So good it hurts @ecfrpower.bsky.social @richardgowan1.bsky.social @jkobzova.bsky.social 👇

Is Europe stuck in a Truman-Show-style reality directed by Trump’s America? Paweł Zerka of @ecfr.eu joins @europeanspod.bsky.social podcast to explain why pro-European sentiment is growing and what leaders must do next. Listen here: www.europeanspodcast.com/all-episodes...

The European Sentiment Compass 2025 is in the spotlight. News media highlight how the Compass captures Europe’s fight against imported culture wars and its search for belonging. Read the articles and download the report: shorturl.at/4tHFP #europeanculturalfoundation

WE'RE HIRING: Executive Advisor (Directiesecretaris) to the Director. Help steer ECF’s 2025–2029 strategy, strengthen alliances, and connect daily practice with long-term vision. Fluent in Dutch and English, with governance or policy experience? Apply here: qr1.be/JFU2 #europeanculturalfoundation

The Compass shows Europe’s struggle is about meaning - who defines values, identity and belonging. We see this throughout our work with libraries, in solidarity, and in digital spaces. Read more: shorturl.at/xtacW #europeanculturalfoundation #europeansentiment #europeansentimentcompass2025

The European Sentiment Compass 2025 shows how Europeans really feel; trust, belonging, & the future are at stake. Leaders gather in Brussels this afternoon to discuss the findings. Watch the livestream: shorturl.at/OlMY4 #europeanculturalfoundation #europeansentimentcompass2025

Out today: the European Sentiment Compass 2025. A portrait of Europe at a moment when others seek to shape its story. See the report: shorturl.at/Atbyz #europeanculturalfoundation #europeansentiment #europeansentimentcompass2025

Tomorrow: the European Sentiment Compass 2025 launches in Brussels & is livestreamed for all on YouTube. Produced with European Council on Foreign Relations, it explores how Trump’s presidency is testing Europe’s politics, identity & values, and what it takes for Europe to lead. shorturl.at/XIv5E

RSVP: The European Sentiment Compass 2025 launches 23 Sept at the House of European History, Brussels, and livestreamed for all. Produced with ECFR, it asks how Trump’s presidency is reshaping Europe & what it takes for Europe to set the terms of the debate. shorturl.at/kElgt

Independent journalism is under pressure across Europe, but it remains essential to democracy. The new Civitates report Beyond the Headlines shows what pooled support can achieve. Since 2021, 27 foundations, including ECF, have backed 24 outlets in 14 countries. Read more: shorturl.at/aizOE

On 23 September, the #EuropeanSentimentCompass 2025 will be launched at the House of European History in Brussels. Produced together with the @ecfr.eu, this year’s edition examines how Donald Trump’s presidency is reshaping Europe. Read more and RSVP: shorturl.at/GXPo0

Libraries are Europe’s social infrastructure; places where culture, community, and democracy meet. The Europe Challenge 2025/26 launches with 60 initiatives in 26 countries, tackling climate, digital inclusion, democracy, and wellbeing. Meet the cohort: shorturl.at/Dn4ks

Europe is living through a “perfect storm” of war, authoritarianism, pandemic, and climate crisis. The Europeans, a ten-year journey by Rob Hornstra and Arnold van Bruggen, supported by the European Cultural Foundation, documents how these forces shape everyday life. shorturl.at/j9ryL

NEW: An Oxford report warns that misleading media coverage is shaping public debate on immigration and human rights. The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system. 🧵 [1/8]

A stronger, safer, more united Europe. That is what Europeans want, according to the Eurobarometer published today. They want more action on Europe's security & competitiveness. They want a Europe that keeps transforming lives. That is what @europarl.europa.eu will keep delivering.

@ec.europa.eu is looking for inspiring school + culture collaborations that boost youth democratic attitudes and civic engagement Share your good practices by October 31st. Submit: ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/run... Info: bit.ly/4mi9iox #EducationCultureCollaborations #YouthCivicParticipation

How do we resist algorithmic control? Talks, stories, and a Georgian feast this evening as De Balie x ZEG Fest explore digital resistance in Georgia and elsewhere in Europe. Supported by the European Cultural Foundation’s Culture of Solidarity Fund. Details: debalie.nl/programma/ze...

Your rights, your voice, your internet. A European digital public space must be built for people, not for profits w/ transparency and strengthening democracy. Read more on how we support a fairer digital future. 📖https://culturalfoundation.eu/stories/europes-digital-future-cant-be-outsourced/

Culture deserves a seat at every decision-making table in Europe. @culturaldealeu.bsky.social and strategic alliances, advocate for policies that recognise culture's the transformative power. Click here to learn more: shorturl.at/lUbkO

We’re hiring a Programme Manager to lead our work on digital citizenship. If you’re passionate about digital rights, inclusive participation, and civic infrastructure, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now: shorturl.at/Y2L1X #europeanculturalfoundation #digitalcitizenship #vacancy

The EU proposed €8.6B for culture, media & democracy in the 2028–2034 budget. Here is what it could mean for culture: shorturl.at/K0wC0 #CulturalDealEU 📸 : Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

We stand with queer communities ahead of this weekend’s #PrideAmsterdam Canal Parade. Pride is not just celebration it’s a reminder that queer futures need solidarity, resources, and protection. For more info follow @prideamsterdam on instagram. #EuropeanCulturalFoundation

The US realignment has forced Europeans to rethink their attitude to defence, @voxeurop.bsky.social's Catherine André and Gian-Paolo Accardo argue in their press review, in partnership with Display Europe. Know more: displayeurope.video/w/cwZYUzFfZx...

Literary historian Tomasz Zukowski provides an eye-opening perspective on how modern #neoliberal #capitalism moulds us, suggesting that today’s social and #economic systems push us towards emotional detachment, overly adaptable to the point of losing our backbone. Read more: buff.ly/3PDmiH8

THE HACK: Open Source fans urge €350 million EU public safety fund

The EU proposed €8.6B for culture, media & democracy in the 2028–2034 budget. Here is what it could mean for culture: shorturl.at/K0wC0 #CulturalDealEU 📸 : Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

As early as the 1980s, ECF's work laid important groundwork for the launch of Erasmus in 1987.

 The Erasmus Student Network survey is Europe’s largest student-led mobility survey. Take part before 31 July: www.esn.org/ESNsurvey

🇪🇺President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu will today unveil her proposal for the EU’s next 7-year budget. The current one is €1.2 trillion (1.1% GNI). Whether the new one should be significantly raised because of EU's many challenges is the subject of debate. There's reports of €1.7 trillion (1.2% GNI)

Across Europe, libraries are strengthening civic life by bridging divides, hosting dialogue, and welcoming people in. The European Cultural Foundation’s Libraries for Europe supports libraries as vital spaces for connection, care, and collaboration. More here: shorturl.at/pRY88

With the #MFF being presented next week, now is the time to uphold the two main demands of the #CDEU campaign: place culture and cultural heritage at the heart of EU policy and ensure it receives at least 2% of the next EU budget. Read more on what you can do: culturalfoundation.eu/stories/back...

Curiosity helps us stay open. Our July newsletter shares stories of cultural hope, from libraries and rural organisers to democracy advocates in #Hungary. Our Annual and Activity Reports for 2024 are now available too. Read more: shorturl.at/rzNWQ #culturaldealeu 📸 : Christian Lue on Unsplash

Democracy is in crisis globally, and technology is playing a role. Most large platforms optimize their designs for profit, not community or democracy. Increasingly, Big Tech is siding with autocrats, and the platforms’ designs help Increasinglyunder control.

In feral times, curiosity keeps us human. Hakan Altinay reminds us why asking good questions—and listening well—is how we keep Europe open and democratic. A thoughtful summer read. Read it on our site. shorturl.at/PncOY #europeanculturalfoundation

As digital threats rise, so does civic energy. We explore how a new kind of digital ecosystem is taking shape, one rooted in public values, cross-border collaboration, and solidarity. Read the article: shorturl.at/x7tZS #europeanculturalfoundation 📸: Mika Baumeister on Unsplash.

On #SocialMediaDay we share the words of @parismarx.com who opened the 2025 #PublicSpaces conference: "Shouldn’t we look at technology as we once did at libraries and consider it to be a public service?" Read more on our focus area European Digital Citizenship culturalfoundation.eu/our-focus-ar...

The digital world is full of challenges, but across Europe, people are rising to meet them. At the 2025 PublicSpaces conference, we joined media makers, policymakers, and artists who are imagining digital spaces that reflect public values, not platform profits. Click the link: shorturl.at/AnKVh

When authoritarianism rises, artists often stand as the last line of resistance. The Forum on European Culture 2025 brings together over 40 international voices to explore the subversive power of art and literature. Join and explore: shorturl.at/YETfO #europeanculturalfoundation

European Youth Event 2025

#Opportunity: Apply for VAHA’s Transnational Networking Meeting in Prishtina! Open to arts groups from Council of Europe countries and Kosovo. Collaborate across borders through culture. Apply by 27 June. LINK: shorturl.at/uFqsm #europeanculturalfoundation

NEW – Ocean current ‘collapse’ could trigger ‘profound cooling’ in northern Europe – even with global warming | @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org‬ w/comment from Rene van Westen Read here: buff.ly/iMXdkOR

A group of international researchers developed a new index to track and assess well-being in 917 European cities. According to its findings there is a clear continental divide in conditions that favor healthy urban living.

If you think this looks like a mess: it isn‘t. It‘s a treasure trove of information. There is no history writing without archives, and there are no archives without people who appreciate and protect them. History, much like democracy, begins locally. Cherish it.

Culture leaves traces. So does cooperation. On World Archives Day, we look at what it means for the ECF archive to be part of Europe’s institutional memory. HAEU Director Dieter Schlenker shares why archives matter for Europe’s future. Read the full interview: shorturl.at/sFKJF #worldarchivesday

Europe’s digital future is on the line. On 13 June, we’re supporting the PublicSpaces conference at Pakhuis de Zwijger—spotlighting how Europeans are reclaiming tech for the public good. Join us: shorturl.at/xh8BP #DigitalCitizenship #PublicSpaces #europeanculturalfoundation

New open call by #civitates: Protecting and expanding civic space in Italy. civitates-eu.org/funding-oppo...

Culture holds Europe together—but needs recognition and investment. Isabelle Schwarz of @ECF calls for the #CultureCompass to treat culture as strategic, not sidelined. Read via @CreativesUnite: shorturl.at/AUUGr 📸: Toa Heftiba / Unsplash #CulturalDealEU #CultureOfSolidarityFund

The first cohort of the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts Fellowship is here. Fifteen changemakers using co-creative arts to tackle issues such as climate change, homelessness, and peacebuilding across Europe. 🔗 shorturl.at/6zBPq #SociallyEngagedArts #europeanculturalfoundation

Looking for some Common Ground? Check out out the latest annual magazine of @euroculture.bsky.social 👇