In recent years, Europe has struggled to find the right balance between freedom of expression and the protean security concerns it faces. Plenty of rights watchdogs see a drift toward more censorship. Now Poland is about to challenge that view.
On New Year’s Day, the country took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has laid out an agenda under the motto “Security, Europe!” It involves boosting economic competitiveness and food production, defending Ukraine, and finding new solutions to immigration and disinformation.
Yet the inaugural gala at the Teatr Wielki, the Polish National Opera, in Warsaw, signaled that Poland’s concept of security has a deeper dimension rooted in creativity and individual liberty. It featured the debut of a work by Radzimir Dębski, a young Polish composer and conductor known for blending classical music with modern genres, particularly hip-hop.
That was just the opening act. Over the next six months, Poland will mark its leadership with roughly 100 cultural events in more than 20 European countries. They include concerts, art exhibitions, movie festivals, literary events, and plays. Organizers say the intention is to showcase younger artists throughout the EU, as well as from countries seeking membership in the bloc such as Ukraine and Serbia, and encourage “creative exchange across borders.” To reach even broader audiences, the Culture Sparks Unity initiative will also feature playlists on Spotify and specials on Netflix.
“This demonstrates the significant role our country plays on the international cultural scene by providing a safe space for creative expression for those who face persecution or whose countries are presently at war,” stated Olga Brzezińska, deputy director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which is curating the events, on the organization’s website.
Poland’s parallel emphasis on art and European security reflects its own internal shift. Since taking office just over a year ago, Mr. Tusk has rolled back restrictions on artistic freedom imposed by his nationalist predecessors. His reforms underscore the essential function of art in elevating democracy through contested ideas.
“Art feeds on differences and their mutual observation of each other,” Andrzej Bednarczyk, rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, told the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza this past November. “It is a way to look at the world through other people’s eyes and enrich your own vision with this difference.”
At a time of uncertainty, that kind of empathy and humility may offer Europe more reliable security than tighter borders or bigger defense budgets.
