Timișoara needs to seize the title of European Capital of Culture in order to ”build a solid long-term project for sustainable development, with an internationally recognized brand and wisely thought-out investments that will make it even more attractive from an economic, cultural and tourist point of view”, was the message highlighted by MEP Victor Negrescu, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education.

He was among a delegation of six MEPs, led by Bulgarian Andrey Slabakov, who visited the City of Light from 3 to 5 April.

”Together with my colleagues from the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education, I was in Timișoara these days to discuss with representatives of the cultural and creative sector involved in the European Capital of Culture project. I was the initiator of the request and of the amendment which, in the context of the pandemic, postponed the period dedicated to Timișoara, but also the one who proposed to increase the support offered to European Capitals of Culture”, recalled Victor Negrescu.

Given the long-term difficulties faced by the cultural sector in the aftermath of the pandemic and Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, the delegation met with local and central authorities and discussed possible solutions at EU level to improve the resilience of cultural and creative industries.

In 2023 Timișoara shares the title of European Capital of Culture (ECoC) with in Elefsina in Greece and Veszprém in Hungary. It is the second Romanian city holding this title, after Sibiu in 2007. Timișoara was designated with the title for the year 2021. However, in December 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ECoC year in Timișoara was postponed from 2021 to 2023.