The participation of national organisations in the EU: mobilisation of Spanish and French civil society regarding the European Constitution (2002-2005)

Abstract

This article analyses the involvement of Spanish and French civil society organisations in the debate on participatory democracy during the making and the ratification of the European Constitution (2002-2005). It shows that national organisations were not marginalised in the European debate as they could build on contacts with European personnel and groups and their own European expertise. However, French organisations were quite sceptical about the new European frame on participatory democracy whereas Spanish organisations tended to share it. On the other hand French organisations were more influential in the national debate because of their ability to construct a political frame of reference, whereas Spanish groups did not challenge the elite consensus. The article concludes that the structure of the European public sphere creates a disconnection between the ways of influence for civil society at EU and national level which encourage organisations to concentrate on influencing one of the levels rather than on establishing linkages between them, against the usual theoretical expectation of civil society involvement in the EU.