By Brian Johnson - 5th October 2004
The makers of Dutch reality TV show ‘Big Brother’ have been asked to stage a televised, pan-European debate, as part of the EU’s attempt to ‘communicate Europe’ to citizens.
The Dutch production company, Endemol, has been asked to organise a debate around the issues up for discussion during the December EU summit, where the bloc’s leaders will decide whether to begin membership negotiations with Turkey.
The broadcast, which will switch between a main studio and national TV studios, will also give audiences the chance to vote on topical EU issues.
The debate will be a “kind of Eurovision” explained Dutch European affairs minister, Atzo Nicolaï.
EU ministers met in Amsterdam on Tuesday for an informal brainstorming session on how to ‘communicate’ Europe to the masses, organised by the Dutch EU presidency.
Faced with decreasing voter turnout at European elections, a series of difficult ratification referendums on a new constitution and an increasingly euro-sceptic populace, EU chiefs are increasingly focusing on the need to ‘communicate Europe’.
Previous attempts at explaining ‘Brussels’ and promoting a European identity for European citizens have had little impact, and the informal meeting in Amsterdam was looking to generate some new ideas.
Nicolaï said he hoped that the TV debate would be taken up by member state broadcasters and shown across Europe.
“For democracy you need demos. But for demos you need a debate…and not just an intellectual debate, but also a popular debate. For this the medium is still television,” he said.
And Euro-ministers may have to turn to the world of pop music and sports stars – professions not normally noted for stimulating political debate - to help brand ‘Europe’.
“We agree that Europe lacks personality, and needs a face,” said Nicolaï.
“By this is meant not just a minister or the president of the commission. But pop stars and sports heroes could also make Europe recognisable.”
And euro-jargon may be slashed, as ministers believe that citizens don’t understand what Brussels tells them, even when they do take the time to listen.
“We should not use jargon. Even though we support the idea of ‘subsidiarity’, we should not use the word subsidiarity,” said Nicolaï.
The ‘Lisbon process’ is also often misunderstood, added the Dutchman, with people’s first thoughts being that it is something to do with “football or tourism.”
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