Exploring the EU's social constituency: Patterns of public claims-making in constitutional debates in France and Germany

摘要: This article explores public voice formation and its potential impact on EU constitution making. A comprehensive perspective is introduced which analyzes the constitutionalization of as a simultaneous interacting process polity building constituency building. The EU’s social referred to particular constellation resonance in media relation European Mass are analyzed principal arena for amplifying ‘constitutional voice’ member states. Starting from comparative outline constitutional claims-making quality newspapers France Germany between 2001 2005, focuses ratification period intense politicization affairs. systematically compares how signal participation taken up transformed into plural voices debates, what kind concerns demands put forward by different actors affected parties within such debates. Finally, justificatory practices defending visions legitimate order will be categorized. main findings point domestically focused French sphere debate turned prime example ‘contentious politics’. In contrast, German took position an alert but passive observer debates other this sense, assumed, at least partially, substitute function media. _This has been published Journal Public Policy Vol. 16, No.3, pp.412-430