THE OLD ELITES AT LEAST GATHERED AT VERSAILLES

EU cultural elite learn to love the constitution (Alan Riding, International Herald Tribune, May 12th, 2005)

Long before postwar Europe began moving toward political and economic integration, Europe existed as an idea thanks to its common cultural heritage, one shaped as much by languages and religion as by its literature, music, art and philosophy. Yet as the region prepares to spell out its future in a new constitution, this vital cultural dimension has been overlooked.

Now, amid mounting concern that the proposed constitution may be torpedoed in upcoming referendums in France and the Netherlands, Europe's cultural luminaries have finally joined the debate, arguing that adoption of the constitution will encourage still greater cultural cohesion and, as such, will reinforce tolerance and understanding within the 25-nation bloc.

This, at least, was the lofty message to emerge from a gathering of about 500 leading artists and intellectuals here last week. And it was duly endorsed by President Jacques Chirac of France, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, who is the current president of the European Union, and by José Manuel Durão Barroso, the president of the European Commission.

Driving this mobilization, however, is more than fear of a negative vote by the French on May 29 or the Dutch on June 1. Even if the constitution goes into force, a deeper worry is that European culture may not be up to the challenge. For many artists, it has become a shadow of its former self and, if it continues to lose ground, it could soon be reduced to a divertimento of the privileged.

"In cultural terms, Europe of the elites works much better than Europe of the peoples," Jean-Jacques Annaud, a French movie director, warned the artists' symposium held last week at the Comédie-Française here.

As Marie-Antoinette might have said: “Let them play soccer!”