Communicating European values: the German EU presidency and the Berlin Declaration

Abstract

" Since the rejection of the European Constitutional Treaty in two of the EU's founding member states in spring 2005, much has been said about the gap between the European Union and its citizens. The strong "Non" and "Nee" of unveiled great deficits in achieving a legitimate and acceptable political order at the European level. Therefore, European actors have increased their efforts on communicating European values aiming at re-gaining public support for the European integration process and at establishing the grounds for a European sense of belonging. The German EU presidency actively contributed to the debate on a European value community and tried to make clear the principles, which the EU is built on.

But how does the European citizenry react to this strategy of communicating values? Do the German presidency’s contributions stimulate a public debate about European values? And can they strengthen citizens' support for the European Union?" [author's abstract]