Abstract

Discussions over the evolution of the EU have become simplistic, reflecting a highly polarized political environment. What gets lost in the current debates is the changing and unstable nature of European balance of forces and of the Brussels institutions. This was a manageable problem under more benign circumstances, but now anti-EU movements are exploiting new media outlets to the detriment of any rational analysis and policy prescription. The concept of sovereignty is especially tricky and can easily be oversimplified. Political leaders have a responsibility to explain complex choices in honest terms; professional media should educate the public rather than just feed it with entertaining news; citizens should be willing to become better informed and open-minded.