News and Insights
The EU has a PR problem
June 9, 2026
Marine Le Pen called the EU a “bureaucratic monster” born of the laboratories of the sovereignty-stealing Brussels technocrats. This colourful vision might send a chill down your spine, or, more likely, bring a smirk to the Irish face.
But her message is clear, concise and captures the imagination. The same cannot be said for how the European Union speaks about itself.
The unfortunate result is that we attach ourselves to Le Pen’s provocative words while the dull rhetoric of Brussels policymakers fails to penetrate. Their actions are shaping the future of our lives and nations, but very few EU citizens actually get what they’re doing. This lack of understanding not only obstructs progress in the EU, but also threatens its stability if citizens are not invested in its future.
As Ireland’s Presidency of the European Council approaches, we have a unique opportunity to revitalise the public’s connection to Europe at home and abroad, define the fundamental values and collective protections of the EU, and demonstrate the extraordinary power it has to improve Europe for the better.
Council Soup
It’s astonishing that while 74% of Europeans identify as EU citizens, only about 45% understand how it works. It’s like feeling Spanish, while struggling to count beyond cuatro The EU policy process is strongly democratic, but also incredibly confusing in its finer details. And few have yet captured how to explain it.
The confusion is only compounded by the EU’s ‘highly creative’ institutional names.
We have both the European Council and the Council of the European Union. The Council of the European Union often ends up being called the Council of Ministers by media in an attempt to provide clarity. This is not to be confused with the entirely separate non-EU institution named the Council of Europe. Still following?
This ‘council soup’ is a mere symptom of a set of institutions that have long viewed impactful communications as an option, rather than as a core mechanism of building fundamental public trust and understanding.
EU wonks falsely presume a deep public understanding of a distinctly complex bureaucratic process. Instead of stating in digestible language what a policy, statement or action might mean for the average person, EU institutions too often communicate as if giving an academic lecture.
They also focus too often on process and procedures, rather than values, intentions and results. Why should people be inspired and enthusiastic about the EU when the officials who run it struggle to articulate its importance and impact?
Hitting home
In Ireland, a remarkable 70% of our domestic legislation originates in Brussels. Yet, despite our strong pro-EU sentiments and its influence on our lives, European election campaigns never capture the public imagination with the same zeal as our national elections. Politicians often use EU elections as a convenient platform to address domestic issues.
Perceiving a public disinterest, journalists then double down on the domestication of European elections, creating a vicious cycle where it can seem Ireland is the centre of the world. In turn, people feel disconnected from and confused by Brussels when big policy issues arise. Though a majority in fact voted for the candidates who supported these policies, they often feel EU decisions are imposed.
An unfortunate contributor to the perception that the EU is an undemocratic force, is the role Member States can play in promoting it. Even the most staunchly pro-EU governments use the ‘Brussels blob’ as a scapegoat for decisions they actually helped to shape. This deflection is especially acute when the public doesn’t support the change. The Irish debate on Mercosur springs to mind.
Informing Europe
In the United States, the regular briefings by the White House Press Secretary are a distinctly connective format. By allowing voters to hear directly about a US Administration’s priorities at source, few remain in the dark about what they intend to do – for better or for worse.
In contrast, the Brussels bubble largely fails to speak directly to its citizens in their own language – literally. The EU has 24 official languages, yet most political media briefings are in English. Good for us in Ireland, not so comforting to the other 26 members.
The European Commission, in consultation with national governments, should nominate 27 Brussels-based Press Secretaries – one representing each member state – to provide daily live briefings for national media.
This would allow Europeans to hear directly in their own language, and from a fellow citizen, how the EU is approaching an issue, thus limiting the ability of cynical actors to hijack and distort the message. It is a cause that Ireland, as a smaller state, would be well placed to make during our presidency.
Education is also vital in allowing new generations of Europeans to understand that they can participate in – and take pride – Europe’s institutions. Across the EU, European Affairs should be a mandatory standalone subject throughout second level education. Again, Ireland can lead by example. Yes, studying the mechanics of Europe can be tedious; but it also equips tomorrow’s society to engage and understand more deeply the most influential political body in our lives today.
Across Europe, we must move the framing beyond narratives of ‘Brussels made us do it’ and enable a collective conscience of ‘We decided together.’ We are part of a powerful shared story; it deserves to be communicated with a clear-eyed understanding of the challenges we face and hope and confidence for the future. Maybe then, the public would be a little less susceptible to swallowing the scary ‘EU monster’ stories.
POSTED BY: Andrew Dunne
