Europeanising the Public Sphere – Meaning, Mechanisms, Effects

Abstract

The emergence of a pan-European public sphere as a correlate of democratic governance in the EU appears desirable to some, but impossible to others. As a consequence, the research agenda of European studies has shifted from the European public sphere to the Europeanisation of public and media communication. Different forms and degrees of a ``European public sphere light'' can be identified by observing the Europeanisation of existing national media spheres. In empirical research, however, the notion of ``Europeanisation'' remains often very fuzzy and contested. The new agenda of ``Europeanisation'' (see also the chapter by Mau, in this volume) therefore frequently follows a pragmatic research strategy that lacks theoretical grounding and methodological coherence. The present chapter aims to clarify this question of standards by following Johan Olsen's distinction between the what, how, and why of Europeanisation. It examines, firstly, the standards for diagnosing what is changing; secondly, the methodological standards governing how to measure the Europeanisation of public and media communication, and thirdly, the standards for explaining why Europeanisation takes place. Finally, the chapter addresses the question of the impact of Europeanisation, examining whether it promotes a qualitatively new and emerging public sphere.