Issued on: 12/06/2026
Press Release 69/2026
Dialogue creates trust: German-French cultural exchange at the "Dialog(ue)s of Villa Europa"
How cultural exchange overcomes borders and creates new cooperation was demonstrated by the second edition of the "Dialog(ue) der Villa Europa". The focus was on the implementation of the cultural policy guidelines of Saarland as well as new impulses for German-French cooperation among cultural institutions, universities, and cultural professionals in the border region.
Minister of Education Christine Streichert-Clivot:
“Culture connects people across borders and creates spaces for exchange, understanding, and trust. Especially in a border region like the Saarland, German-French cooperation is an important part of our cultural identity. The Dialogues of Villa Europa demonstrate how vibrant and diverse this collaboration already is today. They thus make an important contribution to the implementation of our cultural policy guidelines, the France Strategy+, and to a Europe that thrives on encounters and cooperation.”
The event was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture, the French Ministry of Culture in the Grand Est region, as well as the Institut d’Etudes Françaises, and directly connected to the cultural policy guidelines of Saarland presented in December 2025. In particular, Guideline 2 "Dialogue Creates Trust – Cultural Policy in Exchange" and Guideline 3 "Saarland – European Cultural Area at the Heart of the Greater Region" formed the thematic framework of the exchange.
Consul General Jérôme Spinoza:
“In Saarland, we are fortunate that the German-French cultural collaboration is based on a very active cross-border dynamic and at the same time a priority of the Institut Français d’Allemagne. This second meeting at Villa Europa brought many ideas for even more initiatives. With this perspective, we especially want to foster youth work as well as the opening towards the broader Francophone world.”
In addition to presenting successful cross-border projects, including the Maison Européenne de la Culture (La MEC) in Dieuze as well as "Les Ateliers Ouverts de Plan d’Est" and the Interreg funding opportunities, participants were able to engage in an open, spontaneous, and creative exchange at four parallel round tables. The discussions focused on the collaboration of institutional cultural structures, the cooperation of art universities, the networking of music conservatories, and shared perspectives in the theater sector. At the subsequent networking event in the garden of Villa Europa, guests took the opportunity to deepen existing contacts and initiate new collaborations.
The event also gained special significance in the anniversary year of the Institut d’Études Françaises. The IEF will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2026 and has been an important partner for decades in the implementation of Saarland's France Strategy+. With its diverse cultural and educational offerings, it makes a significant contribution to promoting the French language as well as to Franco-German exchange.
Prof. Dr. Anne-Sophie Donnarieix, Head of the IEF: „The Institut d’Études Françaises, founded in 1956, is a Franco-German cultural center and thus a place of dialogue open to everyone. We are pleased to contribute to the intensification of cultural exchange between France and Germany and to make cross-border projects visible, whether in the fields of art, music, literature, or theater. At a time when some wish to close our borders, it is crucial to promote this transnational dynamic, which is so important for the region.“
