The ECR Group welcomes the appointment of Pierluigi Biondi, Mayor of L’Aquila, to lead work on the European Committee of the Regions' opinion on the future of the European Capitals of Culture initiative. The appointment comes at a pivotal moment as the European Union prepares a new legal framework for the programme beyond 2033, one of its most successful and recognisable cultural initiatives.
“Announcing it from Galway has a very special meaning for me,” said Mayor Biondi who is in Ireland for the ECON External Commission meeting. “This city experienced its year as European Capital of Culture in 2020, when the pandemic brought everything to a standstill. It showed that culture is what holds a community together when everything else comes to a halt. L’Aquila learned the same lesson after 2009: culture was not merely an embellishment of reconstruction, it was its very foundation. Today, as Italy’s Capital of Culture 2026, I bring this lived experience to Europe.”
Pierluigi Biondi brings first-hand experience to the file. As Mayor of L’Aquila, designated Italy’s Capital of Culture 2026, he has consistently championed culture as a driver of urban regeneration, economic growth and social cohesion.
"A Capital of Culture cannot be a short-lived initiative with only temporary effects,” the mayor continued. “It must be a seed that takes root and continues to bear fruit long after the spotlight has faded. That is why I share the Commission’s decision to focus on a lasting legacy. My commitment will also be to ensure that the initiative remains open to medium-sized cities, which are the living fabric of Europe. Galway and L’Aquila demonstrate that you do not need a metropolis to transform a community through culture.”
For the ECR Group, the future of the European Capitals of Culture initiative should continue to strengthen local identities while promoting Europe's cultural diversity. Cities and regions are not only custodians of cultural heritage, but also engines of creativity, innovation and community development. Ensuring that the programme remains accessible, impactful and locally driven will therefore be essential to its future success.
Through this new responsibility, Pierluigi Biondi will help ensure that the perspectives of Europe's cities and regions are fully reflected in the next generation of one of the EU's flagship cultural programmes, bringing the experience of local communities directly into the European decision-making process.
The Committee of the Regions is expected to adopt its opinion in the SEDEC commission on 10 December 2026, before a final vote in plenary on 3-4 February 2027.