Recent research has noted that there seems to be a contradiction between the rising need for the European Union (EU) to gain public support by communicating its policies and actions to the public and the inherent difficulty of communicating the often highly technical decisions of the European Commission. As communication attempts of the European Commission are shown to be exceedingly complex, research has indicated that such communication may instead weaken than strengthen public EU support, as complex messaging may increase aversion towards the EU and strengthen perceptions of the technocratic nature of the institution.
Implementing a preregistered survey experiment in Germany (N = 1200), I investigate the effects of complex messaging on attitudes towards two infringement procedures against Germany instigated by the European Commission related to two directives: The Habitats Directive and the Electricity and Gas Directive.
I show that more accessible language markedly improves support for the infringement procedures. This effect is especially strong for supporters of the EU and individuals with comparatively high or low education. An exploratory analysis of the effects of this treatment on emotional self-reports shows that less complex language does not lead to a backlash from EU opponents. This study's results could help understand the conditions under which self-legitimation strategies of EU institutional actors are likely to be effective.