The politicization of Europe

Paul Statham and Hans-Jörg Trenz have published the book 'The politicization of Europe: Contesting the Constitution in the mass media' with Routledge.

This book examines how mass media debates have contributed to the politicization of the European Union. The public controversies over the EU’s attempted Constitution-making (and its failure) sowed the seeds for a process of politicization that has advanced ever since: an increasing visibility for the EU in mass-mediated public debates that is combined with a growing public contestation over Europe within national politics.

The book presents an original systematic study of the emerging field of political discourse carried by the mass media in France, Germany and Britain to examine the performance of Europe’s public sphere. Whilst the EU’s increasing politicization can be seen as beneficial to European democracy, potentially ‘normalizing’ the EU-level within national politics, the same developments can also be a threat to democracy, leading to populist and xenophobic responses and a decline in political trust.

Such discussions are key to understanding the EU’s legitimacy and how its democratic politics can work in an era of mediated politics.

Paul Statham is Professor of Migration and Director of the Sussex Centre for Migration Research in the School of Global Studies at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

Hans-Jörg Trenz is Professor of European Studies and coordinator of the Centre for Modern European Studies, at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is also Adjunct Professor at ARENA, Centre for European Studies at University of Oslo, Norway.

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Paul Statham and Hans-Jörg Trenz
The politicization of Europe: Contesting the Constitution in the mass media

Routledge, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-415-63566-0

Published Dec. 6, 2012 3:19 PM - Last modified Jan. 26, 2022 1:10 PM