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Discourse and the Strategic Usage of Europe

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Discourse Analysis and European Union Politics

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics ((PSEUP))

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the use of ‘Europe’ as a strategic resource in politics. It outlines a discursive institutional framework of conditions and indicators for the study of the strategic use of ‘Europe’. The chapter argues that the general transnational, multi-level and polycentric nature of European Union politics supplies an especially favourable environment for using discourse strategically. It goes further by suggesting that institutionally embedded discourse and the political authority attached to political actors are powerful conditions that enable the strategic use of discourse. This chapter provides an in-depth empirical study of the use of ‘Europe’ for strategic purposes in national politics focussing on the banking sector in two EU member states: Ireland and Denmark. The claim is, first, that European integration discourse has profound but also diverse impacts on politics across EU member states. Second, discourse about ‘Europe’ is a powerful resource for national decision-makers and has been used to initiate and implement a wide variety of national policy and institutional reforms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark

    Kennet Lynggaard

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  1. Kennet Lynggaard
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Correspondence to Kennet Lynggaard .

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Lynggaard, K. (2019). Discourse and the Strategic Usage of Europe. In: Discourse Analysis and European Union Politics. Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-39326-5_5

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