The paper focuses on theoretical and structural problems related to the ongoing process of European integration and the increasing diversity of civil society’s reactions to political, economic and social problems on global, regional or national level. Nevertheless, discussion of public problems and issues by lay citizens scarcely occurs in European agora. What are the obstacles of a European public sphere that would provide space and opportunity to an EU-wide discussion and deliberation about these problems and about future development? What common norms (if any) are discernable in the communication cultures and practices of various EU member states and of EU institutions that could constitute the basis for the elaboration of a common European agora? Can EU institutions provide shelter for “dissidents”, i.e for civil actors criticising their home institutions and their practices? Can “freedom fighters” rely on common European values? Can the European public sphere offer support to democratic struggle in member states? Do the various new fora provided by digital, mobile communications and social networks enhance deliberative democracy and the emergence of civil society or are they just a handy platform for commercial pressure, post-modern leisure or spreading hate speech? The paper will attempt to tackle the possibilities and shortcomings of European-wide public discourse based on empirical observation and research, especially by scrutinising the recent developments of public debate in Hungary and its repercussions in various European fora. The role of new ICTs in the formation not only of public discourse and deliberation but also in the emergence of new civil society movements will be examined in the context of today’s split public arena in Hungary. The research covers various forms and formats of public discussion and it attempts to investigate how various notions of democracy and autocracy are conceptualised and debated, how the different civil actors define the role of the “nation” as compared to the European Union in the present heated debates concerning democracy and the (un)democratic functioning of institutions.
