The role of mediators in the post-truth politics of the disrupted European debates: normative, regulatory and practical dilemmas in EU member states and institutions

Processes of Europeanisation and politicisation of public debates on the EU have been disrupted by political and communication crises encompassed under the notion of post-truth that have des-intermediated the public sphere, empowered anti-democratic domestic and foreign actors, demolished the business model of communication industries and substantially affected processes of consensus seeking. Post-truth transforms the politicisation of the EU by not only increasing the fragmentation and polarisation of actors, issues and forms of engagement with the EU, but also by increasing the costs of pluralism and toleration and creating a wider register of modes of politicisation. Traditional mediators of European public debates are fundamentally challenged by these dynamics but not washed away, as they remain key gatekeepers of the issues that reach political systems.