Jan Figel, the EU’s Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture, and Youth asserted that tolerance of different cultures is no longer enough, and that Europeans should create an inter-cultural society for interaction across cultural boundaries as a new norm. Figel said: “We want to go beyond multi-cultural societies, where cultures and cultural groups simply coexist side by side: mere tolerance is not enough any more.” European officials announced recent plans to be held in member countries to showcase the interaction of cultures, histories on European immigration and cross-border relations, deepening of religions, and dialogue of solidarity among all EU citizens.