Rediscovering Europe in the Netherlands - St Antony's College ...

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news media consistent view on the usefulness of and need for the Constitutional Treaty dominated (Kleinnijenhuis, Takens and Van Atteveldt 2005: 124). If, however, Dutch politicians learn the necessary lessons from these experiences, referenda on specific European themes may very well in the future contribute to Dutch eu policy legitimacy. However, this would require politicians to position themselves by expressing clear views on the issues to be voted on, as well as a willingness to enter into timely, regular and indepth lengthy debate on these issues (Schmidt 2006). This would mobilise the news media as intermediaries between politicians and citizens in the process of policy legitimisation. The media could contribute to the increase in knowledge, participation and involvement of citizens, and encourage politicians to account for their eu positions and views, but most of all to those groups of citizens that do not belong to the European and national political elites (Bovens 2006b: 215). Furthermore, preferenda would provide direct moments of contact between politicians and citizens (Pels 2007: 27). In time, this would ideally give rise to a communicative discourse on European issues among Dutch politicians and in the media, which would reinforce a structural improvement in the legitimisation of policy. This could eventually supersede the traditional, persistently inaccessible co-ordination discourse. 145 6.4.3 internet Another option for politicians would be to make more active use of the new communication possibilities offered by the Internet. This would allow citizens to exchange views and seek information, at any moment, on any number of topics. One advantage for politicians is that the Internet gives politicians the ability to learn the opinions and views of the public. They may exchange views with them on European issues and gauge their opinions, worries and wishes with regard to Europe without the usual time and place constraints of the traditional media (De Vreese 2007: 20). Internet forums such as www.nederlandineuropa.nl, but also ‘blogs’ offer opportunities for structural communication between national – and European – politicians and Dutch citizens. Politicians may thus fulfil their representative role more effectively, while giving citizens additional opportunities for direct participation. In the longer term, these new media may undoubtedly contribute to the creation of broader support for eu policies and the ultimate acceptability of eu policy, but may, conversely, also lead to politicians changing the content thereof. Expectations regarding the contribution of the Internet should not, however, be set too high. Firstly, only a small portion of the electorate are
ediscovering europe in the netherlands willing to dedicate any time to political and social objectives (Dahlgren 2003: 163). Secondly, those who are politically and socially active on the Internet are often the same people who are assertive and politically committed in other ‘arenas’. As Margolis and Resnick (2000: 14) observe: ‘There is an extensive political life on the Net, but this is mostly an extension of political life off the Net’. The perceived complexity of the European policy process moreover acts as a barrier to involvement, especially as long as politicians still have difficulty in developing an appealing communicative discourse on Europe. 6.5 conclusion 146 Compared to other member states, media coverage of eu issues is relatively low in the Netherlands, although the attention for Europe on television has increased slightly, especially in recent years (De Vreese 2001, 2007). Politicians in the Netherlands approach eu policies in a way that does not encourage the media to extend their coverage. Thus, Dutch eu policy is barely visible to the public and will remain highly unfamiliar to most citizens as long as politicians continue to depoliticise eu issues and allow them to be dominated by a small group of specialists from the Brussels and national policy ‘cocoons’. eu issues seldom meet the criteria for newsworthiness. Moreover, the scarce coverage that does find its way into the media is often one-sidedly focused on negative aspects such as fraud and bureaucracy. News editors also tend to regard Europe as a specialism, which therefore does not warrant integral journalistic treatment. As Europe is insufficiently embedded in the Dutch political and social system, it does not make for interesting news and the public are consequently provided with virtually no information. This makes for a vicious circle that is difficult to break. Nevertheless, opportunities for the media to contribute to the legitimacy of eu policy do exist. The Dutch public are relatively poorly and onesidedly informed on Europe, but they seem to increasingly feel the need for more and better information. In principle, therefore, there is indeed a demand for news on European issues. The media is expected to respond to that need, provided they are able to frame eu issues to fit relevant frameworks of responsibilities, the direct relevance to citizens, the focus on individuals, etc. Politicians are crucial in this respect. They are the ones that can make Dutch eu policy more visible, create a certain degree of familiarity with it and provide adequate incentives for the media to be a forum for public opinion formation and to be a watchdog in the Dutch-European policy process. Politicians and media have become more and more dependent on each other. Politicians and political parties increasingly compete via
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