The European Parliament offers a unique opportunity to examine how the European Union’s future is debated — by the supranational representatives of its citizens. This chapter therefore analyses a selection of plenary debates related to the future of the European integration, focusing on the reform proposals put forward by European political groups concerning key democratic issues, such as differentiated integration and dominance within the Union. This reveals nuanced differences between and within the groups that go beyond the simplistic pro- versus anti-European integration divide.
This article explores whether and how journalists cover various forms of differentiation in the European Union (EU) in the news. Differentiation is a key feature of European integration, viewed by some as a facilitator of democracy and by others as a mechanism leading to dominance. Yet we know only little how its complex and controversial aspects are communicated to the citizens by journalists in their role as public mediator and critical watchdogs.