The influence of foreign elite rhetoric: National identity, emotions, and attitudes toward austerity

2020 ◽  
pp. 146511652096665
Author(s):  
Alessandro Del Ponte
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
News Article ◽  
European Identity ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
European Public Sphere ◽  
European Public

How does foreign elite rhetoric affect citizens’ emotions and attitudes about austerity? In a survey experiment conducted on the online blogs of the two major Italian newspapers, participants read a fictional news article where the German Chancellor addressed Italians. Across treatments, I varied whether the message blamed or praised Italians, and whether the message focused on economic or symbolic concerns. Praise generated enthusiasm whereas blame spurred anger and anxiety. Moreover, respondents with a strong national or European identity who read a message of praise were more enthusiastic, less angry, and less opposed to austerity. Finally, people who identify strongly with the nation reacted more to economic messages whereas those who identify strongly with Europe reacted more to symbolic messages. The results suggest that rhetoric by a prominent European leader can influence citizens’ emotions and attitudes toward austerity in the emerging European public sphere.

The European Public Sphere and the Deficit of Democracy

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 125-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reiner Grundmann
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
National Level ◽  
European Identity ◽  
Democratic Deficit ◽  
European Level ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
European Public Sphere ◽  
European Public ◽  
The Media

This chapter explores a threefold European deficit: a democratic deficit, a deficit in European identity, and a deficit in the European public sphere. It argues that although interests such as social movements have most leverage at the national level, since this is the level at which the media are largely organised, the emergence of distinctively ‘European’ issues such as BSE means that national cycles of media attention are becoming increasingly synchronised. This makes it more likely that a homogenisation of issues and opinion will occur at the European level. This would favour the eventual emergence of a supranational identity. The creation of a European public sphere through the synchronisation and homogenisation of cycles of media attention on contentious ‘European’ issues is a more realistic prospect than direct attempts to create a ‘new European’ identity through public education or the legal system.

scholarly journals The concept of European public sphere within the European public discourse

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Sanja Ivic
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
European Identity ◽  
European Public Sphere ◽  
European Citizenship ◽  
European Public ◽  
European Values

<p>This inquiry analyzes the concept of ‘European public sphere’ within the European public discourse. In particular, it explores the European Communication Strategy for creating active European citizenship and European public sphere. The <em>European Commission’</em>s <em>Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate </em>failed, because it employed homogeneous and static concepts of public sphere and European values. In this way it reduced deliberation to a mere debate. The European Year of Citizens was not sufficiently successful for the same reason. It involved citizens debated about EU rights, but it did not produce deliberation. The purpose of this inquiry is to show the dialectical relation between ideas of European values, European identity and European public sphere.  This paper emphasizes performative nature of European public sphere, European identity and European values. These concepts may be perceived as grand narratives which aim at producing universal truths.</p><p><span>Article first published online: 16 OCT 2017</span></p>

Facing Democratic Crisis in the EU: the New European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-147
Author(s):  
Diego González Cadenas
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Democratic Deficit ◽  
European Public Sphere ◽  
European Public ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Effective Development ◽  
Popular Initiative ◽  
Legitimacy Crisis ◽  
The Eu

For some scholars, the possibilities for diminishing the European democratic deficit and the Union’s legitimacy crisis are intertwined with the creation of a European demos and a European public sphere, that, in turn, can create a European civil solidarity. The European citizens’ initiative, which has recently been re-regulated, was precisely designed to help to solve these problems. As we shall see, the new Regulation includes a whole series of positive technical issues that will improve the usage of the mechanism. However, the European citizens’ initiative is still far from being a popular initiative and, therefore, to contribute to diminish the perception of distance between institutions and citizens of the EU or promoting the creation of a European demos. In this vein, after an overview of the European citizens’ initiative new Regulation main innovations and weaknesses, I will present a set of measures in order to achieve a more effective development of the mechanism.

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