Public debate on the future of the European Union: a viable legitimising strategy?

In this article we analyse the phenomenon of public debate on the future of Europe which has been become a preferred tool of EU policymakers over the last decade. We assess the potential legitimacy benefits of such a public debate process and examine in detail two case studies: the Convention on the Future of Europe and the Debate Europe website. We compare these two public debates with regard to their composition, objectives and working procedures. Our findings show that public debate is no panacea for the EU's ongoing legitimacy-related problems and they also point to general challenges for citizens' involvement in the ongoing European integration process.