potential is accordingly decreasing. As the Commission has expanded in size and in power, a bureaucratic culture has replaced the idealistic preoccupation with Europeanization that used to make the institution so distinctive. This phenomenon was well captured by a mid-level official who responded to a question concerning his by stating that one has a department’s mission “no global view around here except the A second official went further to suggest that Director.” level officials take pride in achieving mid-level tasks, and actively avoid considerations of larger strategy. These and other interviews revealed that a civil service ethic has overwhelmingly replaced that of European progressivism. Under the leadership of three-term Commission President Jacques Delors, alternatively, a bias towards integration was expected of Commission officers and programs, who were tasked not only with executing the tasks required of their portfolio, but with the portfolio itself. This value-driven governance peaked when Europeanizing Commission officials drafted the federalizing Single European Act; since then, the Commission has had a negligent role in forming Treaty policy, instead channeling a civil servant ethos to implement the will of the member states. This practice has also been reflected in general governance, and in Barroso Commission, officials tend to prioritize the concept of civil service over the European polity they are serving; as one might expect, the public diplomacy consequences have been severely detrimental. The ways in which this shift has weakened the public diplomacy is well institution’s illustrated in its approach to British euroscepticism. The Commission has no stance on the to hold an in-or-out referendum on continued governing Conservative Party’s campaign membership in the EU. This was explained by many Commission staffers in London and Brussels as necessary to avoid towards This moralization of non-opinions is “a bias integration.” severely impeding the ability to inform and influence citizens, as it refuses to Commission’s
potential is accordingly decreasing. As the Commission has expanded in size and in power, a bureaucratic culture has replaced the idealistic preoccupation with Europeanization that used to make the institution so distinctive. This phenomenon was well captured by a mid-level official who responded to a question concerning his department’s mission by stating that “no one has a global view around here except the Director.” A second official went further to suggest that officials take pride in achieving mid-level tasks, and actively avoid considerations of larger strategy. These and other interviews revealed that a civil service ethic has overwhelmingly replaced that of European progressivism. Under the leadership of three-term Commission President Jacques Delors, alternatively, a bias towards integration was expected of Commission officers and programs, who were tasked not only with executing the tasks required of their portfolio, but with Europeanizing the portfolio itself. This value-driven governance peaked when Commission officials drafted the federalizing Single European Act; since then, the Commission has had a negligent role in forming Treaty policy, instead channeling a civil servant ethos to implement the will of the member states. This practice has also been reflected in general governance, and in Barroso Commission, officials tend to prioritize the concept of civil service over the European polity they are serving; as one might expect, the public diplomacy consequences have been severely detrimental. The ways in which this shift has weakened the institution’s public diplomacy is well illustrated in its approach to British euroscepticism. The Commission has no stance on the governing Conservative Party’s campaign to hold an in-or-out referendum on continued membership in the EU. This was explained by many Commission staffers in London and Brussels as necessary to avoid “a bias towards integration.” This moralization of non-opinions is severely impeding the Commission’s ability to inform and influence citizens, as it refuses to level