Alexis Georgoulis announced his candidacy with the Green Movement in the European elections.
“Today, I am pleased to announce my participation with the Green Movement in the European elections in June. It is time to recognize the connection between culture, environment and innovation and to act accordingly”, says Alexis Georgoulis in his post.
“During my tenure, as an MEP, I worked tirelessly to promote these values. And now, with my association with the Green Movement, I believe we can achieve even more. Enhancing culture through the green and digital transition is a process that requires continuous effort and dedication. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love and trust you have shown me all these years. We continue!” emphasizes Mr. Georgoulis.
The announcement of the Green Movement
With the Green Movement, Alexis Georgoulis will be a candidate for MEP in the upcoming European elections. The active Greek MEP joins forces with the country’s green party in the great effort that has begun for the ecological – green and digital transition of society.
Alexis Georgoulis will contribute the most with his experience and his rich Europarliamentary work, as he managed to be ranked 1st among all Greek MEPs, in terms of parliamentary influence, based on the measurement of the BCW Influence Index.
The Green Movement expresses the modern ruling perspective of “green politicians”, far from the fringe ideologies of the ecologists of the past. With a complete proposal, contained in the Green Governance Plan, which has been presented on time and is available to all citizens.
The Green Movement emphasizes that the June European elections are particularly critical for the EU, but also for our country, which has been electing a “green” MEP since 2009.
The statements of Kostas Kalograni and Alexis Georgoulis
Immediately after the agreement of the descent of the MEP Alexis Georgoulis with the Green Movement, the head of the party’s electoral campaign, Kostas Kalogranis, made the following statement: “We welcome the Greek MEP Alexis Georgoulis in our joint effort to represent the green space in the next European Parliament. His important work in the Culture Committee of the European Parliament where he participated is a key guarantee for our quality cooperation at the level of positions and proposals. While the fact that he managed to emerge in 1st place among all Greek MEPs, in terms of parliamentary influence, based on the measurement of the BCW Influence Index, amply proves it.
Good luck in our common fight.”
For his part, MEP Alexis Georgoulis said: “Five years ago, you honored me with your trust and support and I was given the opportunity, as a MEP, with a huge sense of responsibility, to promote and support culture, with all its means given to me, as I had promised before the election.
During these five years of my tenure, I worked hard with my colleagues to lay the foundations of a new framework for artists, cultural creation, but also the promotion and protection of Greek and European cultural heritage.
As an example, I would like to mention our contribution to the New European Agenda for Culture and for the Union Strategy, where the amendment we passed for the claim of cultural heritage from third countries was decisive, where we had in mind the strengthening of the permanent request of our country for the sculptures of the Parthenon.
It is worth noting that when the European Commission took office in 2019, culture did not even exist as a portfolio. With cooperation and composition, we managed with effort and arguments to put culture on the agenda of the EU.
In the period of the pandemic, when the EU created the Recovery Fund without having culture as one of its priorities, we fought our battle and managed to commit 2% of these European funds.
As we managed to double the funds in the basic funding program for culture “Creative Europe”.
I will not forget the effort to deal with learning difficulties, and especially dyslexia. Our suggestions and effort laid the foundations for something bigger and more substantial in the years to come.
A big thank you to my team, for their work and their support over the years, which managed to elevate me to 38th place out of 705 MEPs, based on the measurement of the BCW Influence Index, in parliamentary influence.
Today, I am delighted to announce my association with the Green Movement for the European elections in June.
It is time to recognize the connection between culture, environment and innovation and act accordingly.
The priorities of the green movement are linked to my own, mainly in their emphasis on culture as a bridge to mitigate discrimination and as a language of communication.
I believe in the work and values of the green movement, which are consistent with the challenge of the EU’s green and digital transition.
Culture is in our nature and this is even more true if we consider that culture and sustainable and equitable development are communicating vessels that reinforce each other in our pursuit of a better human future.
During my term as MEP, I worked tirelessly to promote these values. And now, with my association with the green movement, I believe we can achieve even more.
Enhancing culture through the green and digital transition is a process that requires continuous effort and dedication.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love and trust you have shown me all these years. We continue!”
Alexis Georgoulis in the European Parliament (Short Biography)
Alexis Georgoulis is a Greek actor and politician. In 2019, he was elected MEP with SYRIZA-PS and belonged to the political group of the Left in the European Parliament. From 2023, he is an independent MEP.
During his tenure as MEP, he mainly dealt with issues of culture, youth and accessibility. He was a member of the Committee on Culture, the Committee on Petitions, the Special Committee on Cancer and the Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities.
He spearheaded the creation of the Friendship Group of Cultural Creators, a strategic alliance for culture, garnering support from MEPs of all political groups. He developed the initiative to take action, by the European Parliament, to tackle learning difficulties and especially dyslexia.
He led the campaign for the inclusion of Culture in the Commission’s portfolios, achieving the creation of a corresponding portfolio.
In the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, he developed strong action calling on digital platforms to give fair revenue to creators, due to the increase in profits during the lockdown. He organized the campaign to dedicate 2% of the recovery funds to Culture, achieving the gathering of 104 signatures on a letter to the heads of the Member States. He fought against the proposed budget cut for the Creative Europe Programme, eventually securing its doubling.
At the same time, he exerted strong pressure for the incorporation of the Copyright Directive, with an emphasis on article 18 to ensure due and proportionate remuneration of creators. He contributed to the formation of the “European Agenda for Culture”, focused on supporting EU countries claiming their cultural heritage from third countries. At the same time, he devoted his energies to the creation of a European Framework for Artists and Workers in Culture, spearheading the submission of a resolution to ensure minimum standards across Europe for remuneration, access to social security and pensions for artists and workers in the culture. In this context, it is committed to continuing the work to further improve their conditions.
He dealt with the effects of COVID-19 on young people, conducting consultations with agencies and Civil Society, in Greece and promoting amendments to the relevant file, to address them. At the same time, he contributed to the formation of the first European Strategy for videogames, with the aim of supporting an important sector for young people and strengthening their professional prospects. He was involved in the development of the first European Strategy for Sport, promoting amendments that would further support the sector, to improve the health and well-being of citizens.
He undertook the drafting of the SLAPPs file, helping to create a mandatory legal framework for their protection in all EU countries. Although his work was cut short by his withdrawal from the Eurogroup of the Left, his efforts laid the groundwork for future developments in the field. At the same time he worked on the file for the protection of media independence in Europe. Through consultations with Civil Society and negotiations with other MEPs, he tried to ensure the creation of a binding regulation that would strengthen the freedom and independence of the media.
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