THE EUROPEAN PUBLIC SPHERE:
from critical thinking to responsible action
Updated 22/1/2012

Papers' Abstracts

Parallel Session 1.1-2.1: EPS and European Identity Building and Citizenship Building

1) New borders, new citizens: virtual communication strategies for remaking EU citizenship - Sean McDonald, Simon Moore
The EU’s attempt to direct its citizens toward a pan-European notion of sovereignty faces competition beyond the traditional pull exerted by member states. The new border zone is virtual rather than physical, unstable, often transient, and easily evades official attempts to manage or take ownership of it. The EU is engaged in a major communication effort harnessing multiple media outlets, but it has not succeeded in transcending the physical and cultural geography of the past, either by the communication of information or, more importantly, of emotion. It now faces a crisis within its member states.
We survey older approaches to sovereignty and borders, identify and discuss emerging examples of alternative sovereignties, and suggest communication strategies to align EU notions of citizenship with this new, diffuse and fast-evolving frontier zone.

2) Europe Beyond the Crisis? Citizens’ (re)actions on the Multi-segmentation of the European Public Sphere - Andreas Hepp, Swantje Lingenberg, Johanna Möller, Anne Mollen, Monika Elsler, Anke Offerhaus
The topic of our paper are first results of an empirical audience research on the everyday appropriation of the multi-segmented European public sphere in six European countries (A, D, DK, F, GB, PL). Based on qualitative interviews, qualitative network maps and media diaries our investigation indicates that the people across the various researched countries have a differentiated view on what Europe resp. the EU constitutes and how it is legitimated. In core, we can say that Europe is mostly not seen as being in crisis in the sense that the project or idea of Europe itself is questioned. This on the other hand does not mean that problems of the EU, sometimes even the EU's uncertain future existence, would not be the topic of everyday's communication or that the debt crisis would be ignored. In such a general frame we find different patterns in relation to the “public connection” to the European public sphere, the “mediatized identity horizons” of individuals and EU “legitimation practices”. A first analysis of these patterns will be the core focus of our paper.

3) The European Parliament’s Online Communication Strategy: Creation of the European Public Sphere - Lucia Vesnic-Alujevic
The importance of online political communication is based on the fact that it can foster the involvement and political participation of citizens. This research comprehends a case study of the European Parliament communication strategy on Facebook. It explores and examines the possibilities of the creation of European public sphere through social media and gathering of European citizens from different regions, speaking different languages but still participating in the discussions around topics set by the European Parliament profile administrators. We were particularly interested in mutual communication among participants on the website, the extent to which they identify themselves as Europeans and consequently building of an EU citizenship, promoted by all EU institutions. For the analyses of the collected data we have used two approaches: computer-mediated discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis.
The results have shown that social media can be a good means of promotion of the European public sphere, identity and citizenship, but it should be further fostered through more solid EU institutions’ strategy that would include broader part of EU citizens.

4) The forbidden policies of identity: appealing to the social responsibility of business - Joan Ramon Rodriguez-Amat, Sarah Fröb
It is a heresy of our times to modify the economic system and to suggest policies related to the governance of private businesses; but the economic interests have traditionally contributed to the construction of collective beliefs of commonality. While the major European Media seem to discuss the economic crises by reinforcing a national discourse that was already gone, some European regions (Catalunya, Bretagne, Bayern, etc) still apply policies that wear the intention of conserving and enhancing their regional and national identities.
This paper explores these regional policies involving private business and media of communication and insists on the theory that the economic actors should contribute to the building of a collective identity as part of their social responsibility. The goal is to suggest possible European policies that ought to be implemented inside the member states. In doing so, the economy can turn from a factor of disaggregation to a referent for the European identity.


 
Parallel Session 1.2-2.2: EP Spheres, Communication and Information Strategies and Policies

1) Reaching New Communicative Spaces. Theoretical Discussion of EU Information and communication Activities and Their Role for the European Public Sphere(s) - Chiara Valentini, Bo Laursen
The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of EU information and communication activities in the formation of a supranational European public sphere. EU institutions tend to use the concepts of information and communication as if they were the same thing, forgetting that the outcomes of information activities can be very different from the outcomes of communication activities. After having suggested criteria for distinguishing between information and communication, we analyse EU media relations’ activities in the light of this distinction and argue that, so far, the EU has mainly addressed the media through information activities. Research indicates that this strategy works well with the few Europeanised media, such as the Financial Times and the European Voice, but not with the overwhelming majority of European media, which are oriented towards national and regional audiences. Research suggests that national and regional media seek more than fact-oriented and impartial information. They also want conflicting viewpoints, frames of understanding and discussion. These elements are constitutive of communication. We therefore suggest that when the EU institutions seek to engage with national media, they should supplement their information activities with communication activities and dialogical activities. By doing so, they will boost citizens’ awareness of and knowledge about the EU. We see this as a pre-requisite for political debates, participation and the formation of a supranational European public sphere.

2) The EU Information Machine – High Time for Refueling - Jan Bierhoff
This paper critically examines the defining principles of the present EU communication practices and suggests concrete alternative approaches. It first analyses how the political coming about of the Union shaped its public appearance and communication efforts, and then relates this theme with a more recent technological change, the emergence of Internet and other electronic data networks. A third paragraph focuses on the necessary improvements of the European media and information strategy to bring it more in line with today’s political, cultural and media realities, followed by a final section with proposals for concrete measures and novel facilities. In conclusion, the paper urges the institutional management to give the communication dimension a higher priority, in view of its impact on public trust in times of crisis and transformation.

3) Public sphere and political communication: how does the public sphere evolve with the development of ICTs in local politics - Simon Gadras
This paper links both theoretical and empirical approaches of the public sphere and its contemporary mutations through a specific angle: ICTS in local politics. It is a fact that ICTs, such as blogs, social networks and other web 2.0 based services, are taking a growing place in local politics. Both politicians and citizen use these technologies to communicate, produce original contents and inform themselves on local politics. They participated into the transformation of the public sphere that has nowadays few to do with the original European one from the eighteenth century, described by Jürgen Habermas. In this condition, how do the public sphere and its conceptualizations evolve from a local point of view?
The analysis is based on the case of two French cities and their local political lives. In these areas, local political leaders as well as simple inhabitants uses blogs to give their opinions on local politics. It concerns 41 blogs and the way their authors work with such tools; and it shows three main transformations of the public sphere linked to local activities.
Firstly, the use of ICTs such as blogs in local politics contributes to the general increase of the circulation of information flows. It also contributes to the redefinition of the informational status of the contents produced in the public sphere. Secondly, the links between the different sides of the public sphere are getting more complicated with the development of partial public spheres. Thirdly, the public sphere faces a process I call territorialisation. It does not mean that the European public sphere is more and more divided in local public sphere. On the contrary, it means that the local subjects and actors are taking a growing place in the European public sphere.

4) The Local Communication Flow as Strategic Resources in the Construction of a European Public Sphere - Marinella Belluati
In the building of relationships between Europe and national Governments, the local dimension is becoming a strategic stake and a crucial issue for the main European Institutions and their Political and Communication strategies. The local dimension could be a crucial place for the European Institution to reduce the democratic gap in European citizenship.
There are many signs of this trend, the most crucial is that the EU Communication Policy has placed the local dimension at the core of Brussels strategies to fill up both the gap between citizens and European Institutions and overcome opposition by national Member States. One of the main aims of the White Paper on Communication (2006) is to reach citizens in their own territories encouraging the development of a European public sphere at the local level.
This contribution has the aim to confirm that local communication strategies for EU institutions may be an opportunity to reduce this gap and to curb to an unsatisfactory national public discourse addressed to Europe.

 
Parallel Session 1.3-2.3: EPS and Multi-level Governance Structures and Actors

1) The process of Accountability: a justificatory link for the role and components of a European Public Sphere - Rachel Barlow
In the context of the desire of the EU for greater democratic legitimacy, recent institutional developments have focused on the stimulation of a European Public Sphere and greater citizen participation in EU policy making. Civil society organizations – by which I mean voluntary, independent and not for profit organizations or associations – acting as members of that Sphere, have been seen as conduits of greater participation thereby intrinsically contributing to a process of legitimisation. Yet, this EU policy participation implies public accountability, as per a relationship between an actor and a forum where the actor provides a justification of how the responsibility is discharged to a forum. This justification mechanism, where information and transparency alone do not suffice, requires a deliberative process in a public sphere to constitute that same forum. This analysis focuses on the area at the cusp of finding political solutions with quasi legal consequences, where, on the one hand, civil society organisations act as components of a European Public Sphere participating in an EU policy process and therefore might act as the “public” of an accountability process, and on the other, constitute the members, amongst others of a public forum to which an actor must provide justification in the context of the application of a “narrow” accountability mechanism.

2) EPS and the NUTS: an approach towards multi-level activation of the European citizenship - G.M. Ambrosi
There are systematic problems with a more active involvement of the Committee of the Regions in European governance: as far as budgetary powers are concerned, the Committee is likely to be persistently in competition with the European Parliament (and the other actors involved in passing the budget of the EU); as far as formulating priorities for European regional policies are concerned, the Committee of the Regions is most likely to be in continuous competition with central national governments and with the European Commission. There is only one European organ which needs stronger institutional support and which would welcome such support: the European Court of Accounts. The paper proposes to reflect on structures how citizen on the local and the regional level – as structured by the statistical NUTS – could get involved in commenting and taking active interest in the enactment of regional policies.
On the local levels of the EU there is suspicion about potentially incorrect use of EU-funds but there is also pride in the local development. These are excellent ingredients for local public debates – either affirmative or critical of EU-activities. The conduct and the results of such debates should be stimulated and its issues and results should be funneled from the grassroots level up to districts, regions, and to the European level. These activities should be done under the auspices of the Committee of the Regions and in view of linking up with the activities of the Court of Accounts.

3) A Policy-based European Public Sphere: the underpinnings of the Europe of Experts - Luca Barani
This paper aims to map EU-based think tanks attitudes towards diversity, European Polity (EP), European Public Sphere (EPS) and their involvement in trans-European collaboration/communication and in European-level public debates. The statements and views expressed by think tank leaders during interviews and in their publications, including also their stated objectives, were mapped comparatively. Their orientation and openness towards diversity, the EP, and the EPS is described with a view to assessing how their discourses and transnational networking contribute to the articulation of a European public sphere. The key question is which factors make think tanks more or less responsive/open to citizens’ concerns when they create research agendas, disseminate or open their results to end-users’ exploitation.

4) The effects of the debate on participatory democracy in the Spanish and French debates on the European Constitution - Luis Bouza García
This paper summarises the findings of my PhD about the role of civil society organisations in the debate on particiapatory democracy in the European constitution. The paper asks to what extent the activism of civil society organisations about participatory democracy has contributed to a stronger linkage between specialised European actors and Spanish and French general publics. The findings are that participation was a strong priority for a group of organisations who had a great impact on the Convention's agenda and shaped today's article 11 TUE on civil society participation and the ECI. It appears as well that contrary to expectations the Convention was not a meeting point for European and national organisations and contributed little to the diffusion of this debate beyond European specialised actors. However it is found as well that national organisations did not ignore this topic. In this sense Spanish organisations shared it strongly although they had little effect on the national debate, whereas French organisations scepticism on the Convention's commitment to the question of civil society participation contributed to their involvement against the Treaty in the national campaign. These results contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic connections between different publics in the European public sphere by pointing to the importance of considering the political opportunity structure and the institutional barriers to general publics Europeanisation.



Posters’ Abstracts

1) Beyond Homolingualism in the European Public Sphere: An Interactional Model of Simultaneous Interpretation - Stephanie Jo Kent
The strategy to communicate Europe is guided by an emphasis on information and technology that neglects social interaction. Discourse among the EU institutions in official documents about Plan-D, the White Paper, and multilingualism perpetuate an interaction taboo in which “the tricky question” of an exclusionary language policy is avoided, minimized, or preemptively defended. This is particularly evident in regard to simultaneous interpretation. In the European Parliament, the regime of “controlled multilingualism” has resulted in a communication system that is perceived as most successful when it provides Members with an illusion of communicating in the same language. As in the policy discourse, the measures of evaluation are based in a separation of meaning (in language) from use (by people). The desire to control meaning plays out in contested relationships as Members manipulate the human bias for homolingualism as a tool for individual voice, dis-preferring the cooperative mediation of power implied by participating in simultaneous interpretation. An alternative construction of simultaneous interpretation in community interpreting for the Deaf illustrates another regime in which generating equal voice is the task of the interpreter and language difference (heteroglossia) is preserved and embraced as the goal of the social interaction. Ritualizing community-based simultaneous interpretation as an intracultural social activity is proposed as a means to communicate a new European imagined community.

2) Ideology Matters and History is not Over – Isabel de Castro Asarta
Departing from an holistic perspective, this paper will defend that regardless of the conception of Public Sphere we might embrace (Habermas', Fraser's or Hauser's for example) and despite the concrete citizenship building efforts from the side of the European institutions (Plan D mechanisms, EP elections or the European citizenship, for example), it is the EU non-ideological construction one of the main causes of the detachment of the broader European public to the system. This path will lead us directly to the known EU legitimacy debate, only that under a pure Weberian approach to the study of EU legitimacy. Against an identity building oriented solution, I will propose a political identification building one and, consequently, the necessity of ideology to construct the frame in which a real European Public Sphere can be able to grow. The task is for sure not easy, given that the dominating political ideology in European societies –Liberal Democracy- does not totally fit in the EU system, thus a simple and direct assimilation is just not possible. The recent but yet shy claims of Participatory democracy legitimacy, mostly from the part of the Commission, can give us an idea of one of the possible paths to be explored.

3) Social Media Use of Members of the European Parliament - Karoline Schultz
Social media like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are the latest innovation in political online communication. They allow politicians to address voters in a personalized, responsive, and dialogue-oriented manner and thereby they can help to improve the strained connection between citizens and political elite. More and more European citizens use the Internet regularly – by now around two-thirds of the population. Social Media usage is also growing- by now round half of the Internet users (53%) participated in Social Network sites. Because of the decreasing voter participation especially members of the European Parliament should be most devoted for an active information and communication policy, where they get in dialogue with citizens and inform them about their political acting. This gives the chance to vitalize the public debate about European issues and therefore bring forward the formation of a European public sphere. This is why the paper deals with the research questions whether and in what ways members of the European Parliament make use of Social Media. First findings show that MEPs have begun to employ social media for dialogic voter relations. Besides having an own homepage, MEPs also use at least one social media channel. But there are differences depending on sex, age, party and country affiliation.

4) EU, citizenship and virtual communities: is it possible to have a European public sphere? - Stefano Agostini
The objective of this paper is to study the use of the internet by the EU. It will be described in particular how the EU is trying to use the web and virtual communities to enhance the European citizenship and to build a European public sphere. The European citizenship is a new concept of citizenship; moreover there is a new public sphere: the European public sphere. Firstly the theoretical context will be described: a brief explanation of the network society and the globalization process in which the EU takes place will be given to the reader. Secondly the main elements of the public sphere and the virtual public sphere will be delineated, in order to move toward a definition. Thirdly the concept of community will be considered through the main scholars, from the classical to the contemporary ones. A large debate with regard to this theme took place into social sciences studies many years ago and it is still alive, so the main thoughts will be explained also considering the technological development of the last years. Fourthly some initiatives about the European public sphere, made by the EU or in the EU by European citizens trough the Internet, will be described and analyzed.
Lastly conclusions will be given to the reader regarding how to increase the European public sphere building.

5) Conditions of the Emergence of European Public Spheres – Annett Heft, Barbara Pfetsch
In our paper we argue that the emergence of a European Public Sphere must be understood as a long term process of Europeanisation of public debate in mainly national arenas and that the nature and the degree of Europeanisation rests on a multitude of contingent conditions. Thus, we discuss the various patterns of communication and discourse that may promote or restrain the emergence of a European public sphere. Our study rests on the normative premise that a European Public Sphere is a sine qua non for European politics since integration needs public legitimization on a transnational level in order to meet its democratic requirements. We further assume that under certain conditions the public communication flows enhance or slow down Europeanisation of public debate and contention. By bringing together these conditions it should be possible to map out a model of Europeanisation and specify the circumstances in which we may expect more or less Europeanisation. In our analysis we, first, consider the communicative needs and strategies of political actors at the centers of national and European policy making and their challengers from civil society. We, second, highlight the role of mass media as crucial factors in the emergence of transnational communication since they function as institutionalised forum of debate on European issues as well as political actors who may actively promote or restrict Europeanisation. Third and in addition to media structures, we discuss policy- and country-specific contexts as well as situational opportunity structures that have proven to influence the levels and forms of Europeanised public communication.

6) Communicating Europe among the young people in the regions through the social media in Internet - Desislava Manova-Georgieva
The young citizens of the EU must be actively involved in the European debate and policymaking and also need to be given the chance to express and support their position on all important issues concerning the future of Europe. The voice of the young citizens of the EU need to be heard and the EU institutions need to be fully involved in the intercultural youth dialogue as well.
The EU awareness for a constant debate with the young Europeans in the social media will create better conditions for a well-functioning European Public Sphere (EPS).
One of the key factors of the recent and future communication with the young people is the proper usage of the new social media in Internet. These are perfectly developed communication platforms which make most of the offline communication restrictions disappear and provide an open stage in terms of location, culture, gender and political orientation.
Does the EU need a new social network, which combines the institutional voice of Europe and at the same time the voice of the European citizens? Is it necessary to be created an online platform which realizes the existence of a constant and inspiring dialogue about the EU policies between the institutions and the youth in all member states of the EU.

7) European Regions and Institutions: innovation, subsidiarity and autonomy as basis for European economic and fiscal policy - Antonino Maniscalco, Francesco Velo
The next milestone in the path of integration is the definition of European Fiscal Policy, as main lever of European development and cohesion policy. This scenario requires a deep reflection on how the different government levels will be called to participate in defining the new order, taking an active role in the definition of rules and subsequent implementation. This will influence the ability of the European Fiscal policy to be effective.
The effectiveness of the European fiscal policy will depend not only on the ability of States to respect the commitments made since the Maastricht Treaty, but also the possibility to extend the adoption of shared rules, the settlement of rights and duties for all government levels, most of all Regional.
The European “background” is characterized by the presence of cultural and institutional differences and a high degree of fragmentation. This aspect can be an opportunity, if it will be possible to use differences as ad hoc levers of development. This can be made possible (1) by promoting a multi-level governance approach and (2) by sharing a common set of principles and operational rules.
The strengthening of European institutions that more than others can play a coordinating role is highly relevant. Its political legitimacy may allow the CoR to play an innovative and proactive role both in relation to other central European institutions and towards Regional institutions.

8) Local Environmental Governance in Multi-level Governance Perspective – the Case of the Bulgarian municipalities - Plamen Petkov Peev
This paper explores environmental governance in Bulgaria and the emergence of the local level as a policy scene of growing importance within the multi-level governance framework. It presents the findings of 3 case studies that illuminate the situation on the ground in the Bulgarian municipalities. Based on the broad theoretical premises of Europeanisation and multi-level governance, it focuses on the new environmental policy developments manifested at local level under the influence of EU rules and funds and steered by the intermediary role of the state. After Bulgaria joined the EU the municipalities were vested with new powers, got access to huge funding and to other governance opportunities. Despite the shortage of capacity, experience and sometimes lack of interest in specific environmental issues, local governments and other local actors take advantage of the European momentum and have become much stronger players vis-à-vis EU and national levels. The EU context has widened local policy scene for environmental governance and we are witnessing only chapter one of the story of Europeanisation and increased significance of local level within multi-level governance.




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