Selling Europe. Citizenship, identity and communication in the European Union's institutional discourse

This thesis gives an historical overview of European identity politics from 1951 to 2006; offers a detailed account of the first coordinated, community-wide information campaign preceding the 2004 European Parliamentary Elections and presents the new chapter in EU communication strategy---the 'period of reflection'---that opened in reaction to the Constitutional crisis in 2005.; The primary objective of the research is to provide a diachronic overview, a genealogy of the concept 'European integrational identity' through its traceable, analyzable manifestations in the areas of policy making, advertising and political communication. The socio-political and cultural examination of various historical periods---in which the idea of Europe has been defined and communicated differently---is situated in relation to the field of media and communication studies.; The analysis points out how various phases of the integration process ascribed different levels of importance to informing and engaging the citizens of the European community. It also underlines how the sphere these institutional attempts targeted had shifted from the realms of cognition to those of emotion.; The topic is located at the intersection of various political and historical processes and socio-cultural phenomena in the timeframe of 1951-2006. With accentuated emphasis on the last two decades, I look at the attempts of the European Union to establish and manufacture a favorable image of its institutions and policies; to conceptually bridge millennial cultures of diverse nation states merged under a higher unit of governance; to strengthen a common sense of belonging among the citizens of EU-6, -9, -10, -12, -15 and -25; and most recently, to promote a viable EU-brand with a pro-integration theme.; The research methods adopted in this thesis represent both the qualitative and the quantitative research traditions. Primary data acquired through personal interviews conducted with political figures, civil servants and contractual agents in the European Commission and the European Parliament; participant observations of public events and in-house press conferences for accredited journalists; and textual analyses of policy documents, official initiatives, program summaries and visual materials constitute the research methodology that is further complemented by secondary data of both qualitative and quantitative nature.