The European Public Sphere Does Not Exist (At Least It's Worth Wondering...)

Abstract

■ This article argues that most research conducted on the topic of the European public sphere (EPS) has been heavily influenced by a definition of the public sphere that has been historically promoted by the European Union institutions themselves. Communication and, later on, public opinion have been considered by EU pioneers as ways to overcome the limited competences of the European institutions. By doing so, they heavily influenced later theories of the European public sphere by promoting a conception of the latter based on two major assumptions: the EPS relies on the availability of information about the EU in national media and all EU citizens are members of the EPS. This article proposes alternative research paths about the EPS. The EPS should probably not be thought of in terms of the national media of the member states, nor should it be conceived as including all EU citizens. Rather, the EPS appears as sectoral, heavily selective and including actors from various professional and policy areas that have, in common, a strong interest in EU matters. ■