Vladimir Putin's Russia should not be allowed to the Venice Biennale

Written declaration No. 835 | Doc. 16386 | 21 April 2026

Signatories:

Mr Iulian BULAI, Romania, ALDE ; Ms Nerea AHEDO, Spain, ALDE ; Ms Meritxell ALCOBÉ, Andorra, ALDE ; Ms Claudia ARPA, Austria, SOC ; Mr Taras BATENKO, Ukraine, ECPA ; Ms Larysa BILOZIR, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Marianne BINDER-KELLER, Switzerland, EPP/CD ; Mr Adam BODNAR, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr François BONNEAU, France, ALDE ; Mr Christophe BRICO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Nikolla CAMAJ, Montenegro, ALDE ; Mr Ricardo CARVALHO, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Edmunds CEPURĪTIS, Latvia, SOC ; Baroness Thérèse COFFEY, United Kingdom, ECPA ; Ms Bernadeta COMA, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Benjamin DALLE, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Natalia DAVIDOVICI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Irena FERČIKOVÁ KONEČNÁ, Czechia, SOC ; Ms Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Konrad FRYSZTAK, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Paul GALLES, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr Martynas GEDVILAS, Lithuania, SOC ; Mr Stephen GETHINS, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine, ECPA ; Mr Gustaf GÖTHBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Andries GRYFFROY, Belgium, ALDE ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Ms Maria-Gabriela HORGA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Paweł JABŁOŃSKI, Poland, ECPA ; Mr Patryk JASKULSKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Serhii KALCHENKO, Ukraine, ECPA ; Ms Zanda KALNIŅA-LUKAŠEVICA, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Yuriy KAMELCHUK, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Alicia KEARNS, United Kingdom, ECPA ; Mr Claude KERN, France, ALDE ; Ms Olena KHOMENKO, Ukraine, ECPA ; Mr Bekim KJOKU, North Macedonia, SOC ; Ms Iryna KONSTANKEVYCH, Ukraine, ECPA ; Ms Bisera KOSTADINOVSKA-STOJCHEVSKA, North Macedonia, SOC ; Ms Yevheniia KRAVCHUK, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Carmen LEYTE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Max LUCKS, Germany, SOC ; Mr James MacCLEARY, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Oleksandr MEREZHKO, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Mariia MEZENTSEVA-FEDORENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Carla MOONEN, Netherlands, ALDE ; Ms Louise MOREL, France, ALDE ; Ms Olena MOSHENETS, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Oana MURARIU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Cristian-Augustin NICULESCU-ȚÂGÂRLAȘ, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Christine PASQUIER-CIULLA, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Marko PAVIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Lucia PLAVÁKOVÁ, Slovak Republic, ALDE ; Ms Agnieszka POMASKA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Marijana PULJAK, Croatia, ALDE ; Mr Gonzalo ROBLES, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhii SOBOLIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Elena-Simona SPĂTARU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Georgios STAMATIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Kadri TALI, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Tamila TASHEVA, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Victoria TIBLOM, Sweden, ECPA ; Mr Nicos TORNARITIS, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Mr Krzysztof TRUSKOLASKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Sergiy VLASENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Albana VOKSHI, Albania, EPP/CD ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, ECPA ; Ms Yelyzaveta YASKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Lesia ZABURANNA, Ukraine, ALDE

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We strongly condemn the decision by the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia to allow Russia to reopen its national pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition in 2026.

The Council of Europe was founded on the values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Culture must serve these values – not provide legitimacy to a State conducting an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

We note that this decision has been framed as a defence of artistic freedom. We reject that framing. If genuine support for Russian artistic expression were the goal, the Biennale would give voice to the hundreds of Russian artists, filmmakers, and writers currently imprisoned by the Russian State for opposing this war. They represent the authentic culture of a free Russia.

Unlike the European Union, the Council of Europe does not hold financial leverage over the Biennale Foundation. But we speak with clear moral authority: this decision is incompatible with the democratic values that cultural institutions of international standing are obligated to uphold. We call on the Fondazione Biennale to reverse this decision.