‘Debating Europe’ Platform – A Means of Crafting Online Representations of a European Identity

AbstractThe democratic and symbolic deficit the European Union has been associated with has become dominant since European citizens consider themselves excluded from the process of European construction. Debating Europe platform is an online strategy of mobilizing and of getting citizens involved in dialogues with European politicians, experts and other EU citizens. This e-platform has been used especially during the European Year of Citizens (2013). We intend to provide an insight into the network of communication between European politicians, experts and EU citizens debating on the European identity. Our analysis will highlight the most visible EU citizens involved in the online dialogue and the most relevant frames and issues associated with the European identity