EU Commission recommends terminating €2M grant to Venice Biennale over Russia's return

The European Commission has officially recommended terminating a €2 million ($2.3 million) grant to the Venice Biennale over the reopening of Russia's pavilion, a senior EU official said.

Henna Virkkunen, European Commission executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said Saturday that the recommendation was made to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

“The Commission officially recommends EACEA to terminate the €2 million grant to the Venice Biennale,” Virkkunen said in a post on the US social media company X.

She said the move followed “a thorough assessment” of the Biennale's response justifying the reopening of Russia's pavilion.

“Culture in Europe -- funded with taxpayers money -- should promote and safeguard democratic values,” Virkkunen said. “These values are not respected in today's Russia.”