Shortly after the EU election in June, Jessica Gienow-Hecht, Tobias Klee, Marlene Ritter, and Lesar Yurtsever organised an international SCRIPTS workshop titled “Welcome to the (Il)liberal State: Place Branding as a Historical Practice”. Doctoral Researcher Marlene Ritter relates the findings of the workshop to the recurring debate on the EU’s struggle to make a convincing case for itself. What is there to learn from a historical perspective — in assessing, but also addressing this problem? Spoiler alert: One cannot not communicate. And this is part of the problem, but it may be part of a long-term solution as well