Meisoon, your piece with Lilit landed with me — especially the argument that Europe's narrative failure runs deeper than messaging. I've been pulling at the same thread from the governance culture side. My recent piece on trust erosion across the EU makes the case that the same trust numbers mean different things depending on where you sit in Europe — because people in different parts of Europe built that trust through completely different routes. What you describe as broadcast theatre is what I keep seeing at the practitioner level: Brussels talks, assumes the talking produces credibility, and misses that large parts of Europe decide whether to trust someone long before the talking starts. Our work crosses similar paths.
Excellent article. I would add one thing: the problem is also that the EU rhetoric layer of "empowering communities and vulnerable groups" feels ornamental especially when you realize how consequential some decisions made by Brussels have been towards members states like Greece, Italy and Spain during the financial crisis 15 years ago. Actual communities were hit hard and left behind by austerity measures that responded to the neoliberal logic that permeates the commission's modus operandi. But take also more recently AI regulation: safety measures are being watered down because of fears of missing out revenues opportunities that are very likely to benefit not society at large, but large corporations. You cannot fake progressive mindset when the core logic of the entire machinery is about up-streaming profits to the usual few.
Meisoon, your piece with Lilit landed with me — especially the argument that Europe's narrative failure runs deeper than messaging. I've been pulling at the same thread from the governance culture side. My recent piece on trust erosion across the EU makes the case that the same trust numbers mean different things depending on where you sit in Europe — because people in different parts of Europe built that trust through completely different routes. What you describe as broadcast theatre is what I keep seeing at the practitioner level: Brussels talks, assumes the talking produces credibility, and misses that large parts of Europe decide whether to trust someone long before the talking starts. Our work crosses similar paths.
https://theculturalcurrents.substack.com/p/trust-doesnt-translate?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=357tgg
I’ve found that stories about ethics (including European fables?) provides a great source of meaning.
This is excellent and so much could apply to liberal political parties outside of Europe too.
Very interesting analysis. Looking forward to future posts
Excellent article. I would add one thing: the problem is also that the EU rhetoric layer of "empowering communities and vulnerable groups" feels ornamental especially when you realize how consequential some decisions made by Brussels have been towards members states like Greece, Italy and Spain during the financial crisis 15 years ago. Actual communities were hit hard and left behind by austerity measures that responded to the neoliberal logic that permeates the commission's modus operandi. But take also more recently AI regulation: safety measures are being watered down because of fears of missing out revenues opportunities that are very likely to benefit not society at large, but large corporations. You cannot fake progressive mindset when the core logic of the entire machinery is about up-streaming profits to the usual few.