The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, chaired by the mayor of Jerez, has established a Working Group with the Spanish candidate cities to be the European Capital of Culture in 2031.
The city of Jerez today spearheaded the creation of a Working Group within the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) for the cities bidding for European Capital of Culture in 2031. This decision, at the behest of the president of this body, the mayor of Jerez, María José García Pelayo, was adopted during an event attended by the mayors of the municipalities that have expressed their intention to submit a bid.
As the mayor, who is also the president of the FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces), explained, “the aim is to ensure that the work carried out over these past months, the existing infrastructure, the activities developed, and the resources deployed are not wasted. The objective is also for the Ministry of Culture to commit the necessary funding to the city that is ultimately chosen.” Likewise, the intention is to urge the Ministry of Finance to consider the recognition of Jerez as the European Capital of Culture 2031 an exceptional event of public interest.
Furthermore, she noted that, “we are working through consensus and active listening with the citizens of Jerez, holding various forums and meetings where ideas and proposals have been contributed to further enrich our candidacy. This active listening process is important because through culture we can transform our region.” In this context, with our project we want to “defend and safeguard all the values that Europe symbolizes: equality, integration, solidarity, inclusion, progress for all, and the power of culture as a transformative force for cities and the well-being of people. A candidacy also based on our roots, on flamenco, on wine and horse culture, and on our rich architectural heritage.”
Currently, the Spanish cities vying to become European Capital of Culture in 2031 are Burgos, Cáceres, Granada, Jerez, Las Palmas, León, Oviedo, Palma, and Potries. Currently, the Spanish cities vying to become European Capital of Culture in 2031 are Burgos, Cáceres, Granada, Jerez, Las Palmas, León, Oviedo, Palma, and Potries. The event was also attended by the First Deputy Mayor and the Councillor of the Jerez City Council, Agustín Muñoz, and the Councillor for Culture of the City Council, Francisco Zurita.