Avoiding Entropa.
| Author | Waller, Laurie |
| Position | David Cerny's art installation portraying the European Union |
Should we care that the UK is absent from David Cerny's Entropa? The controversial installation located on the European Council building features the artist's rendering (or what some consider derogatory stereotypes) of each of the member states of the European Union except the UK which is deliberately left out. Entropa provoked national outrage in Bulgaria--depicted as a toilet--and national embarrassment in the Czech Republic who commissioned the work. In the UK the work provoked a smattering of self-deprecating humour and the odd 'waste of money' criticism but by and large the public have been largely indifferent to the art work. What a shame!
The indifference of the UK public is symptomatic of a deep problem in our democracy. The space for considering Cerny's work in any terms other than simply pro-EU or anti-EU just doesn't exist in the UK. The typical tabloid headlines lead us to believe that the public see the EU as an unnecessary expense for taxpayers, run by faceless bureaucrats, and built on complex treaties no one understands. The problem is that this is the extent of our public debate. When it comes to the EU we are fixated on theoretical concerns about sovereignty and institutional technicalities. It is no wonder the UK public are turned off.
We often conflate disengagement with disenchantment. Many of those working as advocates for Europe conclude that the lack of public connection to the EU is somehow indicative of our nation's acceptance of euroscepticism. However, the latest Eurobarometer survey finds 32 per cent of the UK population see membership of the EU as a good thing and 31 per cent say it is neither good nor bad while only 30 per cent say it is a bad thing (Eurobarometer, 2008).
The problem is not disenchantment. It is rather that we have not developed a discursive space in which the EU can be discussed on a level which connects with the public. Without a broader discourse which citizens can access there can be very little meaningful engagement between European institutions and those they work for. The challenge for those who seek a vibrant and democratic Europe is to reconnect with the public on a level which enables them to see the EU as something more than a collection of very complicated institutions.
What's the point?
But, why does this matter? What are the tangible benefits that would stem from a vibrant and democratic EU? Well, let's reverse the question. If we continue with the very narrow public discourse that we currently have--one which alienates the vast majority of the population with talk of constitutions and qualified double majority voting--then can we hope to have any meaningful public engagement on European issues? Unlikely!
And meaningful public engagement is important. Public opinion is no longer, if it ever was, simply a reaction to a carefully managed policy announcement. It may once have been possible to appease public opinion simply through effective PR campaigns; voters had their say during election times. The public knew who to vote for because it was whoever their parents, the friends and work colleagues voted...
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