1.
Why is communication
from the EU always so
bad?

2.
Who actually has the incentive
to communicate beyond
Brussels?

3.
Elections force communication
No EU institution is close to the basic definition of
a party system from Schumpeter, composed of 4
main elements of the role of political parties:
Parties present programmes
Voters make an informed choice between
competing parties
The successful party puts its programme into
practice
The governing party judged on its successes at
the next election
Adapted from Schumpeter, J.A. [1943] (1976), Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, 5th Edition,
London, Allen & Unwin, quoted in Judge, D. & Earnshaw, D.,The European Parliament

4.
The Institutions
Commission
• Political futures do not depend on communication –
indeed quite the contrary?
Parliament
• Second order national elections, often closed lists
Council / Member States
• If the EU is a success, incentive to present that as a
national success

5.
http://newzar.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/hear-see-speak-no-evil1.jpg

6.
Something to think about
The most scary thing about the Internet for
“ your government is not pedophiles, terrorists
or viruses, whatever you may have read in
the papers. It is the danger of your
administration being silently obsoleted by the
lightening pace at which the Internet changes
”
expectations.
Tom Steinberg
Founder of MySociety.org
MySociety blog 07.01.2009

7.
Peak of hype
Gartner Hype Cycle
Plateau of
productivity
Technology
trigger
Trough of
disillusionment
2000 2004 2008 2012

8.
?
?

9.
Case Studies
The Brussels Blog Network

10.
Case Studies
Twitter and Schengen

11.
EU-BXL Link
• Link up national and EU sentiment?
• Treaty of Lisbon / citizens’ initiative

12.
http://climatesignature.vattenfall.com/

13.
Case Studies
Twitter for EU Advocacy

14.
http://www.digitalpulse.eu/

15.
http://www.epdigitaltrends.eu

16.
Case Studies
Kill Bill Video

17.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E2B_yI8jrI

18.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17276838

19.
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-03-08/world/world_europe_europe-
racist-video_1_martial-arts-clip-characters?_s=PM:EUROPE

20.
Case Studies
Silvio Berlusconi and
credible commitment

21.
Tips for following the EU
online

22.
BXL Comms - websites
• euractiv.com

23.
BXL Comms - websites
• euobserver.com

24.
BXL Comms - blogs
• bloggingportal.eu
• FT Brussels Blog
• http://blogs.ft.com/brusselsblog/
• Charlemagne Blog
• http://www.economist.com/blogs/charlemagne/
• Jean Quatremer
• http://bruxelles.blogs.liberation.fr/
• Eurotopics.net

25.
EU Comms – personally?
• How should you do it?
 Google
 European Parliament
 RSS

26.
Google
site:domain.name at the start of the search

27.
European Parliament
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/

28.
RSS

29.
RSS

30.
Links and Credits
Interesting articles
Blogging as a journalistic genre / Andrew Sullivan - http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/why-i-blog/7060/
Vattenfall: from http://publicaffairs2point0.eu/2008/10/28/spring-comes-early-to-place-luxembourg-or/
Twitterwall
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/04/european-council-changes-course-on-tweetwall-after-berlusconi-insults117.html
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/12/17/eu-summit-twitter-wall-trial-goes-awry-as-berlusconi-bashers-flood-euco-stream/
Photo Credits - all Creative Commons Licensed
Tom Steinberg http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbiddulph/4020771892/
Facebook Like http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofiabudapest/5925462073/
Habermas http://www.flickr.com/photos/37925259@N00/5718599089/
Vienna Café http://www.flickr.com/photos/su-may/7103794911/
Shirky http://www.flickr.com/photos/poptech2006/2969510044/
Spliff http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamcohn/2787196217/
Belgian Security http://www.flickr.com/photos/skender/1361525212/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/skender/1361555878/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skender/1361450404/
People at laptops http://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/3347405355/
Silvio Berlusconi http://www.flickr.com/photos/elenatorre/3675597102/
Malmström http://www.flickr.com/photos/european_parliament/4287119537/
TGV http://www.flickr.com/photos/34147934@N07/4866055584/
Barroso http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/3488886360/sizes/l/in/photostream
Bubble http://www.flickr.com/photos/stansich/134366701/sizes/l/
All other pictures either taken by the presenter, or used with permission

31.
Contact Information
www.facebook.com/jon.worth
@jonworth
www.jonworth.eu
uk.linkedin.com/in/jonworth
jon@jonworth.eu
http://jonworth.eu/downloads/roskilde.ppt