“Keep it simple! Think about what you want to say when to say it, and make sure you are being clear.”
Communicating Europe takes work. It is all about democracy. Transparency is essential to democracy. People need to see how EU leaders are elected. Due to the EU’s growing competencies, turning from a merely economic to a political Union and directly affecting an increasing number of European citizens, the role of communication in bolstering public support for the European project has become much more critical. Stavros Papagianneas, an experienced communications expert, even wrote a book about Rebranding Europe. EU Reporter asked him a few questions on the topic.
How and when did you come to Brussels?
I moved to Brussels from Athens about 40 years ago. I came as a student and just ended up staying. I studied communication and started working here right after. Over the years, I have worked in the field of communication, become a diplomat, and have also held positions at the European Commission. Ten years ago, in 2014, I set up my own company, STP Communications, which is located near the EU Council and European Commission buildings. So, I have been in the communication game in Brussels for about 35 years now.
What is the “Brussels bubble,” and how would you explain it to someone unfamiliar with the term?
The “Brussels bubble” is the circle of people working in the European Quarter, focusing on EU-related matters. That means the two square km around the Schuman roundabout. These people come from all over Europe, but their job is to develop policies for European citizens. The problem is that many people outside this bubble do not know what happens here. It feels disconnected from their everyday lives, so they often do not understand what the EU does or why it matters.
You often speak about the “Decline of the Brussels bubble.” What does this mean?
The “decline” I’m talking about refers to how things have changed, especially with recent geopolitical challenges. The original goal of the EU after World War II was to unite Europe and prevent future wars while promoting equality and human rights. Now, we are seeing external threats like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and internal issues like the rise of extremist political parties. People feel disillusioned because life is getting more complicated. When the EU was launched almost 70 years ago, the idea was to unite a continent with a population of around 500 million. So that there are no wars in the future, human rights are respected, gender equality is respected, and everyone has work and equal rights. At the end of this path was, as the founding fathers of the EU thought at the time – the United States of Europe, the European Federation.
Should the EU’s goal be a European federation?
Yes, more EU unity is crucial. There are movements pushing for less involvement from the EU, but I believe that the EU’s values are under attack from both inside and outside, and we need more integration, not less. For example, while leaders like Viktor Orbán criticise the EU, Hungary still benefits from billions in EU funding. The EU is doing a lot for its citizens—building hospitals and bridges, helping with regional development and financing paramount projects in research and innovation. The problem is that people do not always see or understand these benefits. We are seeing a rise in nationalist, secessionist forces in the European Parliament, and they are saying that we need less of an EU. Community values are also encroached upon from within, which comes from countries such as Hungary, as well as from some others. I therefore believe that since 1945 the pan-European idea has changed and is not what it was after the Second World War. Apparently, in France and elsewhere, people have a short memory. They forgot what happened during the Second World War, and before the Second World War, there was also the First World War. There is no alternative in the EU. We saw that there was a lot we could do together. We do not need less of the EU. We need more of the EU as an added value for citizens, and we need to explain what the EU is doing for them.
Since you published the book Rebranding Europe, have you seen any changes in the way the EU communicates?
Unfortunately, no. In the book, we offer advice on improving communication with European citizens. When I wrote Rebranding Europe six years ago—and I had just finalised the second edition—we surveyed Brussels correspondents. We repeated the same survey in 2023 and 2024. We were surprised that journalists still face the same problems as in 2017: too much bureaucracy, lack of transparency, and the tendency to overcomplicate things. The EU’s communication has not evolved much in the past few years.
Can you elaborate on the main challenges journalists face when covering EU affairs?
The main issues journalists deal with are the overload of information, lack of time, and transparency problems within EU institutions. There is also much competition between different institutions, which adds another layer of complexity. The biggest frustration is how technical everything is. EU communication is full of jargon, which makes it really hard for journalists to explain these topics to the public in a way that’s easy to understand.
You run your own communication company now. What does it mean to work in this sector in Brussels?
We focus on three areas: crisis communication, scientific communication, and EU-related communication, especially on legislation. We are storytellers. Also, we provide strategic advice to European and global organisations. Our job is to turn complex topics into something people can understand. It is more complex in Brussels than elsewhere because the work environment is very demanding, especially with the EU institutions and NATO. Therefore, the journalists here are top-notch, and the topics they cover are critical for the EU citizenry to help the media by giving them the correct information so they can focus on their expertise.
How do you tell a story in the Brussels bubble? Is it different from telling a story in cities like Athens or Paris?
Yes, it is more complicated in Brussels. Journalists here deal with super technical EU topics and have to break them down for their audiences back home. Plus, there is so much competition for their attention as they get bombarded with information daily. We tailor our communication to each journalist’s focus so we do not waste their time with stuff they do not care about.
What advice would you give for successful communication in the Brussels bubble?
For successful communication in the Brussels bubble – and beyond – I suggest thinking about what you say, when you say it, and keeping it simple.
Stavros Papagianneas was born in Athens and graduated in Communication Sciences at the University of Brussels. With a background in strategy, including positions such as communication officer at the European Commission and press officer and spokesperson to diplomatic missions in Brussels, he is currently the managing director of PR consultancy StP Communications and the founder of Steps4Europe. This pro-EU non-profit association aims to reinforce the European Public Sphere and promote the values of the EU.
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Stavros was named by the pan-European news platform Euractiv as one of the TOP 40 EU Influencers and is a public speaker.
Stavros has been a member of the Working Party on Information of the Council of the European Union. He is the author of the books Powerful Online Communication (2016), Rebranding Europe (2017), Saving Your Reputation in the Digital Age (2020), and Embracing Chaos (2021). He has also written many articles for EU media such as Euronews, Euractiv, EU Observer, L’ Echo, Le Soir, De Tijd, Communication Director, and Research Europe.
Stavros lectures at European universities: the University of Cantabria, Vilnius University, the University of Brussels, the Institute of European Studies (IES), the University of Sofia, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Thomas More University.