Malta should heed the lessons from Valletta 2018 if an upcoming bid for the European Capital of Culture is to succeed by avoiding politicisation, focusing on cultural development, and remain mindful of the potential social consequences.
If candidate cities Vittoriosa and Victoria can follow this advice, their bid for 2031 stands a good chance of success and sustainability, according to a European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) expert.
“The opportunity should be a catalyst for change, not a means to protect the status quo,” Robert Palmer told Times of Malta.
Vittoriosa and Victoria will find out if they have been selected in 2026.
Six years on, Valletta 2018 remains a deeply polarising event, with opinions sharply divided on its success, said Palmer, who was visiting Malta.
A respected consultant in the field, he said it remains difficult to find neutral perspectives.
“I get one extreme set of views or another… One core issue experienced here but also by others was the politicisation of the Capital of Culture,” said Palmer.
Palmer was not directly involved in Valletta 2018; therefore, his reflections are primarily informed by the European Commission’s independent report from 2019.
However, Palmer, who has overseen two Capitals of Culture – Glasgow in 1990 and Brussels in 2000 – also has a wealth of experience. Formerly the Director of Culture and Cultural Heritage at the Council of Europe, he also chaired the European Capitals of Culture selection jury and contributed to a European Commission report evaluating 20 such capitals.
Palmer said government involvement is inevitable, explaining that around 80 per cent of the funding for these projects typically comes from state or local authorities, enabling them to have an impact on the event’s outcome. He said that in countries with a two-party system, like Malta, this politicisation tends to be heightened.
Avoid relying on a “cultural mafia” that could exploit the opportunity for political or personal gain- Robert Palmer
The 2019 report further backs this view, stating: “According to many stakeholders, whilst Valletta 2018 included many projects and events of high artistic quality, the overall artistic vision and direction suffered due to the strong political influence over the process and the loss of artistic expertise during the development phase.”
Daphne’s murder
One particularly sensitive political issue acknowledged by Palmer was the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, which occurred just months before Valletta’s year as European Capital of Culture, leaving a significant impact on the event’s public perception.
The EU report noted: “The governance of Valletta 2018 attracted a considerable degree of national and international criticism following comments posted on social media by the chairman, Jason Micallef, which appeared to mock the murdered journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia. The posting led to condemnation from various sources both within Malta and internationally.”
It also mentioned that as a result, the other 2018 Capital of Culture, Leeuwarden-Friesland in the Netherlands, announced it would not send official representatives to Valletta’s celebrations in protest, though they continued to collaborate on some projects.
Robert Palmer has overseen two Capitals of Culture – Glasgow in 1990 and Brussels in 2000. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli‘Undue political influence’
Another key lesson Palmer draws from Valletta 2018 is the importance of the governing body of a Capital of Culture remaining as independent as possible. He advocated for an open call system for leadership positions, noting that in southern Europe, including Malta, there is often a “minister’s preference or a government preference, which is accepted as a way of doing business, but this also increases the politicisation”.
The European Commission’s report backs this up, acknowledging that while the Maltese government provided full support for Valletta 2018, “the main difficulty reported was the turnover of senior staff and loss of high-level artistic expertise and the perception of undue political influence over decision-making”.
The report praised some aspects of Valletta 2018, including greater public engagement with the cultural sector and the long-term government strategy for culture-driven regeneration in Valletta. But with regeneration of a city comes the almost inevitable pitfall of gentrification, which Palmer warns cities like Vittoriosa and Victoria to consider as they develop their bids.
Palmer cautions that cities must balance cultural development and preserving local communities.
“In many cities, for example, although there’s been a lot of economic renewal and people are pleased about that, there’s often been the consequence of enhanced gentrification.”
For Vittoriosa and Victoria, the challenge will be to revitalise their cultural sectors without displacing local residents.
Palmer also emphasised the core purpose of the European Capital of Culture initiative: to celebrate Europe’s shared cultural heritage. However, he noted that this aim is sometimes sidelined in favour of more immediate economic gains, such as boosting tourism.
“Everyone thinks that the European Capital of Culture simplistically is a trigger for additional tourism, but there’s lots of other factors involved,” Palmer said, adding that the latest EU guidelines explicitly state that tourism should not be a primary objective of a Capital of Culture.
As the competition heats up, Vittoriosa and Victoria are well-positioned to learn from Valletta’s experience and from the 65 other cities that have held the Capital of Culture title. Palmer urged them to avoid relying on a “cultural mafia” that could exploit the opportunity for political or personal gain.
Instead, he encouraged them to see the bid as a chance for positive change, particularly by engaging younger generations.