The European Union and the Public Sphere: A Communicative Space in the Making?

The European Union is often attacked for its democratic deficit , namely its deficiencies in representation, transparency, accountability and lack of popular support. This book assesses the possible formation of a communicative space that might enable and engender the creation of a transnational or a supranational public.

1. The European Union and the public sphere: a communicative space in the making? John Erik Fossum and Philip Schlesinger PART I: Communicative practices and a European public sphere Philip Schlesinger and John Erik Fossum 2. Conceptualizing European public spheres: general, segmented and strong publics Erik Oddvar Eriksen 3. The public sphere and European democracy: mechanisms of democratization in the transnational situation Klaus Eder 4. A fragile cosmopolitanism: on the unresolved ambiguities of the European public sphere Philip Schlesinger PART II: Assessing Europe's general public(s) Philip Schlesinger and John Erik Fossum 5. "Quo vadis Europe?' Quality newspapers struggling for European unity Hans-Jorg Trenz 6. Political communication, European integration and the transformation of national public spheres: a comparison of Britain and France Paul Statham 7. The European void: the democratic deficit as a cultural deficiency Abram de Swaan 8. Political integration in Europe and the need for a common political language Lars Chr. Blichner 9. EU enlargement, identity and the public sphere Maria Heller and gnes Rényi 10. Religion and the European public sphere Francois Foret and Philip Schlesinger 11. The public sphere in European constitution-making John Erik Fossum and Hans-Jorg Trenz PART III: Institutional conditions and the European context John Erik Fossum and Philip Schlesinger 12. European commissioners and the prospects of a European public sphere: information, representation and legitimacy Andy Smith 13. Transparency, audiences and the evolving role of the EU Council of Ministers Deirdre Curtin 14. Transnationalising the public sphere? The European Parliament, promises and anticipations Ulrike Liebert 15. Conclusion Philip Schlesinger and John Erik Fossum Bibliography