Towards a Politicisation of the European Public Debate? The Institutionalisation of the "European Political Foundations"

The creation of political foundations at the EU level, made possible thanks to a Regulation adopted in December 2007, is a breakthrough compared to the European Commission's previous position on party affiliated organisations at both national and European levels. This evolution is part of the reorientation of the European communication policies, which seems to be an attempt to reach citizens who are somewhat indifferent to European affairs. This article analyses the mobilisation of political entrepreneurs in the European Parliament and of national foundations' networks, lobbying the Commission and Council representatives. The Commission's initiative needs to be considered in the political context of the aftermath of the 2005 constitutional referenda defeat. The article proposes a critical analysis of the foundations' contribution to the politicisation of the European public debate. It analyses their communication strategies to see how they respond to the European objectives of proximity and dialogue.