Timisoara Mayor Dominik Fritz emphasized that the title of European Capital of Culture is, in fact, a recognition of the city’s potential, and the fact that Timisoara will bear this name in 2023 shows that it is a city where European values ​​are respected, there is diversity and innovation. Fritz said that there will be big events in Timisoara this year, and one of them is the presence of the American actor John Malkovich, who will star in the play, as well as the Brâncuşi exhibition, which will start in September.

Dominik Fritz said on Prima TV’s political show Insider on Saturday that the title of European Capital of Culture is an honorary title given by the European Commission.

“This title is first of all an honorary title awarded by the European Commission (…) as a recognition of the city’s potential and the fact that these cities, which have the title of cultural capital, say something about modern Europe, about European culture, about European values . In this sense, the fact that Timisoara was chosen, of course, means that we can show that this is a city, a region where for hundreds of years we live European values, diversity, respect, innovation, and this is a chance, I would say , a strategic opportunity for Romania to put us back on the map of Europe and radically change the narrative about Romania abroad,” said Dominique Fritz.

He declares that for him “the stake for me is not only in culture or certain cultural events.”

“After all, the stake is the country and the weight is the country,” Dominik Fritz also stated.

Answering the question of how people from abroad see Romania, Dominique Fritz noted that there is a distorted image of our country.

“Those who have never been to Romania have some kind of distorted image or an image left somewhere in the 90s. People remember that there was a revolution, Ceausescu, in Germany everyone pronounces Ceausescu, they don’t even know how to pronounce this last name. They remained in mind with street children, orphanages, in the best case, with Dracula. This is a prejudice against Romania, a poor, backward country. And that’s why it’s a shock for those who come,” replied Fritz.

Regarding the European Capital of Culture, the mayor said that there will be more than 1,000 events in Timisoara, some of them big, such as the presence of the American actor John Malkovich or the Brancusi exhibition.

“I think there will be over 1,000 events in total, from contemporary dance to exhibitions to theater and concerts. There will be some highlights, that is, some peaks that will attract many people. And we hope that one day, attracted by the peak, they also look at certain smaller projects and events. Now we start with big exhibitions. Adina Pintilier, who won the Golden Bear in Berlin, who had the Romanian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, who is bringing her exhibition to Timisoara for a few months, will surely attract many people. In September, we will launch the biggest Brâncuşi exhibition in Romania in the last 50 years. And I think the only big Brancusi exhibition is in… I don’t know, Paris, Brussels and London. There are works from the Pompidou (Paris), from London, from Romania, I’m not sure if it’s from New York, but it’s a serious exhibition with serious works that will definitely attract people just for that. Here’s what we have on display. We can’t just showcase Romanian art and culture, but that’s why the concept is to very often pair an artist, musician, actor, local or Romanian director with a partner from Europe. So we have theater groups from Europe that come and put on a play with a local orchestra, same thing with orchestras. Also in September we have a big event where there will be over 400 musicians on stage in one of the biggest musical operas, where an orchestra will come from Germany. The National Orchestra of France will come, conducted by Christy Mechelaru from Timisoara. John Malkovich will come to play a play,” the mayor of Timisoara announced.

Dominik Fritz says he wants Romanians to visit Timisoara this year, not just foreigners.

“We also have big names, but for me the stake is not necessarily to do what can be done someday. You get big names and that’s it. The goal is to use these peaks to attract the world to Timisoara, by the way, not only from abroad, but also from Romania,” emphasized Fritz.

He also stated that one million tourists are expected in Timisoara this year.

“It is difficult to calculate that some, but not all (tourists) will stay overnight. I say half a million to a million tourists, that’s a real number. But the most important number for me is how many tourists there will be in 2024 and how many will return in 2025. That is, to the extent that we manage to use this title for positive dynamics in the long term, not only for Timisoara, but also for Romania,” said the mayor.

The mayor of Timisoara says that the Timisoara City Hall has committed to allocate 20 million euros for the cultural program, of which 5 million have been spent in the last two years.

When asked how he cooperated with the Minister of Culture, given that he is from the PSD, Dominik Fritz (USR) explained that the Minister understood the strategic stake for the country.

“I think that the minister understood the strategic stake for the country. Now he is also late as a minister (…) There were times when the fact that the City Hall is from the USR, the District Council is from the PNL, and the Ministry of Culture is PSD was also a political challenge, but in the end I think that the fact that we are where we are now, and it shows that there is a cross-party consensus that this project, beyond the stakes, local politics, this project is of strategic importance to the whole country and therefore deserves the full support of the government. 2 weeks ago, Mr. President announced that he is giving the highest patronage to the cultural program, and I think this is also a signal that all political forces, beyond the differences that we have in our daily lives, are behind this project,” he added he is Dominik Fritz.