Electorate 'unimpressed' by EU's successes[fr][de] 

Political researchers told EurActiv that this flurry of legislative activity was unlikely to make Europeans more enthusiastic ahead of the 4-7 June European elections. 

As is often the case, communicating the European project remains a problem, they argued. 

Jean-Michel de Waele, a political science professor at the Free University of Brussels (ULB), said it is not cheaper cross-border text message charges or mobile Internet that will make citizens look at the EU with friendlier eyes. The decisions adopted were positive, he said, but are "tiny" and benefit only a limited number of frequent travellers. 

"Compared to the magnitude of the economic crisis, such measures could be noticeable, but they appear as small details, compared to the Union's difficulties in reacting to the global financial meltdown. Citizens expect bold economic decisions, and not small extras," he said. 

Euro's success questioned 

De Waele was also sceptical about the much-touted successes of the European single currency. The adoption of the euro, De Waele said, was a major political move, but it is mainly the elite who saw it that way. In his view, the vast majority of citizens remain unconvinced. 

"For many European citizens, the euro means price increases. And the fact that the euro offers protection from the crisis is not understood. But European leaders cannot say to the citizen – thanks to us, you avoided a catastrophe," he continued. 

As for the European elections, De Waele said people would vote if there was a political choice. He strongly criticised the fact that the political classes had not come up with an alternative candidate to the present Commission president. 

"Why should the European citizen bother to go to the ballot box? To confirm that Mr. Barroso will be reappointed Commission president?," he asked rhetorically.

Enlargement success 'poorly communicated'

One of the greatest historic successes of the EU – its enlargement, which amounts to the reunification of Europe following the Second World War, has also been poorly communicated, Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen said a few days ago. 

Verheugen, who served as EU enlargement commissioner from 1999 to 2004, said that the key to making enlargement a success was to get more Europeans to go and see the new member states for themselves. 

Meanwhile, next Friday's celebrations of the 1 May 2004 enlargement are expected to remain low key, highlighting a lack of political will to mark the occasion.

A communication problem? 

For many observers in Brussels, the difficulty in raising voters' enthusiasm about the EU lies as much in communication as in delivery. 

Monique Goyens, director-general of BEUC, the European consumers' organisation, believes the elections are an opportunity to showcase what the EU does. "It is high time for the European institutions to get a little bit closer to the European citizens. The elections bring a unique opportunity to show to people that they are being cared for at European level." 

This month, BEUC launched a campaign to get candidate MEPs to support consumers' concerns. It developed a short guide, establishing a 'pact' between the Parliament and consumers to address areas where BEUC says MEPs "can act to make a real difference". "It is an agenda which we hope all parties and candidates will be able to support," says the organisation. "The Consumer Pact is directly connected to European citizens' everyday lives," it claims. 

Stanley Crossick, founding chairman of European Policy Centre, outlined to EurActiv his views as to why Europe has been unable to communicate its achievements. He saw the problems as follows: 

• The EU institutions don't have enough highly qualified communication experts; 
• Communication policy and its implementation is often bureaucratically-driven; 
• Institutions can't use ongoing communication advisers, who would marry decision-making with communication; 
• Contracts [for communication projects] are devised by frequently non-experts and put out to tender. But it is impossible to operate in the fast-moving way that communication needs; 
• The art of good communication is to tailor it to the recipients. 'It's not what I say that matters; it's what you hear me say', and; 
• 20+ languages complicate life.