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

ediscovering europe in the netherlands
social agenda of voters and elected officials (Kleinnijenhuis, Oegema and
De Ridder 1995; Gurevitch and Blumler 1990; wrr 2005). Increased
knowledge about Europe and Dutch eu policy will ensure that the public
are offered adequate means to deliberate on and participate in the Dutch-
European decision-making process. New media such as the Internet may
also provide interesting opportunities. Thus, the link between citizens and
Dutch eu policy and also between Dutch politicians and Europe may be
strengthened.
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Accountability
Media coverage should offer insight into the Dutch and European decisionmaking
processes, but the news media should also be allowed to fulfil their
watchdog function properly. These are necessary conditions for the
improvement of Dutch eu policy legitimacy via mechanisms of political
accountability. The media must thus be able to monitor Dutch policy on
Europe critically and must have the means to investigate political responsibilities.
The proposed role for the Prime Minister would provide a direct
impulse in this direction. This would indeed reduce impulses to blame
unwelcome developments on ‘Brussels’ (the well-known practice of ‘blaming
and shaming’) and citizens would be offered a chance to better inform
themselves on political responsibilities for eu policy.
Identification
Finally, and in the somewhat longer term, a quantitative, qualitative and
organisational embedding of Europe in the day-to-day journalistic practice
may increase public awareness of ‘Europe’ and Dutch eu policy. The media
can contribute to this process by offering forums where competing views
on Europe and the Dutch interests in Europe can be developed. This media
role first surfaced during the referendum campaign on the Constitutional
Treaty, when the strongly media-driven campaign really did bring Europe
into Dutch living rooms (Pels 2007: 2).