{"id":47119,"date":"2024-06-17T17:01:32","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T15:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/?p=47119"},"modified":"2024-07-09T16:28:41","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T14:28:41","slug":"activists-recreate-da-vincis-last-supper-as-eu-leaders-meet-over-dinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/issues\/democracy-europe\/47119\/activists-recreate-da-vincis-last-supper-as-eu-leaders-meet-over-dinner\/","title":{"rendered":"Activists recreate da Vinci\u2019s \u201cLast Supper\u201d as EU leaders meet over dinner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Image credit: Johanna de Tessi\u00e8res \/ Greenpeace <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Brussels, 17 June 2024 <\/strong>\u2013 Activists from Greenpeace Belgium have recreated Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s famous \u201cLast Supper\u201d painting in Brussels\u2019 Parc du Cinquantenaire, calling on EU leaders to protect the rights and interests of youth and future generations. <\/p>\n\n

The image dramatises leaders\u2019 focus on their own political fortunes and short-term crises, and contrasts this with their inattention to the long-term interests and needs of both present and future life on this planet. It comes as Greenpeace EU publishes a short position paper<\/a> calling for an EU policy framework to ensure the rights of youth and future generations.<\/p>\n\n

*** <\/strong>High quality photo and video available here<\/strong><\/a> *** <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace EU campaigner Ariadna Rodrigo <\/strong>said: \u201cAs EU leaders cut deals over dinner, we\u2019re here to remind them that they can\u2019t trade away their responsibility to youth and future generations. Europe is facing multiple crises, and the impacts of the decisions that politicians make today will be felt for decades to come. The planet\u2019s ability to sustain life, our children\u2019s future, the state of our democracies, and our rights must be core priorities for the EU.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Breaking more than bread <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The activists\u2019 recreation of the \u201cLast Supper\u201d comes as 27 EU heads of state and government gather in Brussels to discuss who should be the next president of the European Commission, and to set their political priorities for the next five years. <\/p>\n\n

Leaks<\/a> of the priorities indicate that EU leaders are planning to abandon their commitments on climate and environment, even though the level of voter support for EU environmental action<\/a> has remained high since 2019, and in fact has increased marginally from 83% to 84%. European voters continue to rank climate and environment<\/a> as the second-most important issue the EU should tackle in the medium term, after security and defence. <\/p>\n\n

Europe is the world\u2019s fastest-warming continent<\/a>. Extreme weather events, like the recent deadly floods in southern Germany<\/a>, are becoming more frequent and intense<\/a>. The European Environment Agency, in a first-of-its-kind study<\/a> earlier this year, found that Europe is drastically unprepared for the impacts of climate change, which is wreaking havoc with ecosystems and threatening Europe\u2019s energy and food security, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people\u2019s health. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

An EU Agenda for Youth and Future Generations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

A cross-party group of MEPs published an open letter<\/a> in the run-up to the European Parliament elections calling for the creation of an EU Commissioner for Future Generations. <\/p>\n\n

In the position paper<\/a> published today, Greenpeace goes further and argues the European Council and the next president of the European Commission should:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n