The future of the European Union (EU) has long been a topic of hot debate. With increasing populism, scepticism towards politicians and growing discontent, the issue is more pressing than ever. In his new book Rebranding Europe, Fundamentals for Communicating the United States of Europe (2024 edition), Stavros Papagianneas argues that the EU’s survival depends on its ability to better communicate its value to citizens.
Papagianneas is a senior communications strategist with 30 years of experience in the field. Previously he worked as a communications officer at the European Commission and press officer and spokesperson to diplomatic missions in Brussels. It could be said that he has ‘inside’ knowledge of the EU itself. He is certainly a respected expert on the one thing even the most ardent of Europhiles admits it could do better – communications.
Rebranding Europe
In his new book, while not holding back on stating where he believes the EU is getting it wrong, he does at least try to offer some concrete and useful pointers as to where things could improve. One of them, undoubtedly, is the way the Union promotes itself and its message to the 450 million European Union inhabitants.
Europe, he believes, must learn to “sell itself” more effectively to safeguard its long-term future and must “speak the language of the street” and “simplify” its message to citizens.
According to Papagianneas, this is the only way it can hope to overcome the “democratic deficit” that still exists and “failing trust” in the EU. There is “no miracle cure” or “magic recipe” available to the EU to better promote itself. But, even so, he says there is still room for “optimism” that the 27-strong bloc might (one day) be “better understood”.
Is the EU falling apart?
The book is a follow up to the first edition, published in 2017, which he wrote as a response to Brexit, just the latest “crisis” to hit the EU.
The Greek-born author, a graduate of the University of Brussels who now lectures at several European universities, has a deep interest in communications, which he describes as a “family business”. While a committed Europhile, he does not shy away from tackling what he describes as essential issues he believes the EU must face in order to avoid “falling apart” (one of the chapters even asks: ‘Is the EU falling apart?’).
For Papagianneas, communication will be a key factor in ensuring the EU has a long-term future, adding, “Though the first edition was triggered by Brexit and its consequences, I thought a second edition to be paramount after the coronavirus crisis and the brutal invasion of Ukraine”. Having faced “two tremendous crises”, the EU now, he argues, has to “differentiate its message towards external and internal stakeholders”.
A PR makeover for the EU
One recommendation is that the EU substantially increase its communications budget. Currently, he says, this is relatively tiny compared with the overall EU budget and “should be doubled”.
The writer stresses that the Union must also find a way of making itself more interesting to international, national and local media, along with the electorate themselves. Papagianneas relates interviews he conducted when compiling the book with journalists in Greece and Belgium, all of whom said that the media in their countries published relatively little about the EU because of the lack of interest from readers.
The “EU blame game” is another issue to be addressed, he says, adding that certain political leaders like Viktor Oban, in Hungary, seem happy to participate in the EU decision-making process while, at the same time, telling their countries’ inhabitants that the EU is responsible for Europe’s ills. Over the years, little progress has been made in better communicating the EU’s message, with Papagianneas noting that another challenge is the rise of populism.
Countering the shift to the right
The book states that the recent Euro elections “delivered a clear shift to the right”, recording some “significant wins”. It argues that the EU must counter this with “clear, concrete and jargon-free” messaging and that social media and artificial intelligence will have an increasingly crucial role to play in this.
The book illustrates how Europe can be rebranded by providing key recommendations on how to convey the added value of the EU to citizens in their daily lives. With growing instability around the world and the rise of authoritarianism and disinformation, the EU should take the lead in strengthening multilateral partnerships and in protecting and promoting democracy and human rights.
Europe, according to the 270-page book, has been caught in the “most complex crisis” since the second world war: “Once the world’s bastion of liberal, democratic values, Europe has to confront demons it thought it had laid to rest.”
Learning from global communicators
The author interviewed several essential opinion leaders and key global communications stakeholders, including Androulla Vassiliou, a former EU Commissioner.
The foreword is penned by Laurenţiu Plosceanu, vice president in charge of communications at the European Economic and Social Committee, who endorses the key messages in the book, adding that despite much concern about populism and lack of trust, there was room for optimism. One example was the “unity” the EU had shown after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he believes was not the response that Vladimir Putin expected. Such crises, he said, offer both “opportunities and challenges” for the EU.
The EU, says Plosceanu, should inform citizens of the success of projects like Erasmus, the social mobility scheme.
To conclude, here is a final thought from the author: “The European Union needs to be able to square the circle between reacting to external threats that concern all member states on the one hand side, and to offer solutions adapted to national realities on the other hand side. In terms of communication, it is important to explain the big challenges that we are all facing regardless of nationality and location.”
*The book is published by STP Publications.
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