“The jury charged with selecting the European Capitals of Culture in 2010 has chosen the three best dossiers: those of Essen, Pecs and Istanbul”. The jury’s recommendation, published by a statement of the Commission on 11 April, is subject to the decision on the matter that the European Council will have to take during the second half of 2006. “The quality of the candidate cities was altogether excellent”, explained jury chairman Jeremy Isaacs. “I commend the spirit of competition that inspired the cities that entered as candidates”, declared the Commissioner for education, training, culture and multilingualism Ján Figel’. He added: “The quality of the dossiers presented by Essen, Görlitz, Pecs, Istanbul and Kiev gives good grounds for hope in the more open character that the Commission intends to give to the process of designating European Capitals of Culture”. Istanbul’s bid aroused particular attention and curiosity, in view of Turkey’s hopes to become a member of the European Union, albeit in the long term. The project presented by the Turkish city “has the objective of favouring cultural exchanges at the European level”. The chosen slogan is: “Istanbul, city of four elements”, bridge between Europe and the Orient. The German city of Essen “was chosen for its innovative project of regeneration of the Ruhr region through culture, a project to which the city aims to give a long-term perspective”. As many as eleven German cities applied as candidates. Lastly, “the objective of developing cultural links with neighbouring countries, especially in the Balkans, is at the basis of the preference given to the city of Pecs. The slogan chosen by the Hungarian city, the country’s second leading cultural centre after Budapest, is that of a city without frontiers”.
