The Public Sphere as the Missing Legitimating Link in the EU Governance.

How can we reconcile the transparent and inclusive Constitution-making process with the rejection of the Constitutional Treaty? I argue that even though the communicative channels were opened to encourage participation, they were not utilized because of the absence a European public sphere (EPS). Stressing that the concept of public sphere only became relevant owing to the functions it performs to make democracy possible, I demonstrate that an EPS never emerged to allow the Europe-wide public use of reason. The findings of this article, namely that the absence of the EPS deprived citizens of the right to meaningfully participate in the Constitution-making process, have far-reaching implications for the future of the Union. The ratification of the Treaty will not be the last challenge of its kind. Unless the importance of the EPS is taken seriously, the perpetuating elite-citizen gap will result in the same mistake to be repeated time and again. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]