The panel chose Essen over Görlitz, which was competing for the title in Germany, and it picked Istanbul over Kiev, which submitted applications at the EU's invitation to non-member states. Pécs was the only city whose application was submitted by Hungary, but it emerged from a competition within Hungary involving no fewer than nine cities.
"I believe these three cities will be able to cooperate successfully in organising events. Pécs can fulfil a special role by forming a bridge between Western Europe and the Balkans," said Pécs Deputy-Mayor Márta Kunszt, responding to the decision.
In its recommendation, the panel cited Pécs's emphasis in its application on improving links with Hungary's Balkan neighbours ? Pécs is near to Hungary's border with Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro ? as well as its motto, "a city without borders". The EU council of culture ministers must still decide on the title in autumn, but they are expected to confirm the panel's recommendations.
Pécs has already started preparations for 2010, with plans to spend HUF 31bn on projects related to the title. About 90pc of funding will come from the state and the EU, with the city council covering the rest.
Pécs, population 162,000, is well known for its Mediterranean atmosphere and rich cultural heritage. The city's treasures include early Christian tombs from the 4th century, the ruins of Hungary's first university established in 1367, a 16th century mosque, the famous Zsolnay porcelain factory and several collections of fine art, among them the largest collection of paintings by Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka (1853-1919), one of Hungary's best-known artists.
Each year since the programme was started by Greek Culture Minister Melina Mercouri in 1985, a different European city has been awarded the title "European Capital of Culture", with an aim "to open up to the European public particular aspects of the culture of the city, region or country concerned." From 2005, a rotating system was introduced, giving each EU member a chance to pick one or more of its cities four years in advance to carry the title, with competition among the candidate cities encouraged. EU cultural ministers decided in 2004 that, from 2009, a city from an old member state and from a new one would share the title.
Cities that were earlier named "City of Culture" included Athens, Florence, Amsterdam, (West) Berlin, Paris, Glasgow, Dublin, Madrid, Antwerp, Lisbon, Luxembourg, Copenhagen, Thessaloniki, Stockholm and Weimar. This year's "European Capital of Culture" is the Greek city of Patras, and next year's title will be shared by Seville and Luxembourg.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
