The Plural Representative Space: How Mass Media and National Parliaments Stimulate Pluralism through Competition

Abstract

Perhaps the most (in) famous claim in EU politics is Margaret Thatcher’s statement, ‘I want my money back’. The former UK Prime Minister made this claim in the context of negotiations on the EU multi-annual budget at the time of the EU Fontainebleau summit, in 1984. The claim was widely reported by mass media throughout Europe, and has resonated in EU budget negotiations ever since. It has strengthened an understanding of EU budget negotiations as highly contentious intergovernmental battles concerning Member States’ net-contributions (Laffan 1997, 2000; Lindner 2006; Rant and Mrak 2010). Literally, the claim makes no sense as Mrs. Thatcher had no personal money invested in the EU. Yet it is clear to all observers that she was in fact not talking about her own money, nor would she personally like to receive funds from the EU. Rather, she made an argument for the reduction of financial contributions of the United Kingdom to the EU budget. The statement presented her — the claimant — as a representative of the UK — the constituency — in the public sphere, and is thus an example of an elected official engaging in a practice referred to as representative claims-making (Saward 2010: 88).