Europe as a Discursive Battleground

Abstract

Problems of European integration and governance are increasingly analysed from a discursive perspective. This article reviews the merits of such an approach. Two analytical strands, the Copenhagen and the Governance School, are discussed in depth, both of which in their own ways look at the possibility of legitimately articulating a particular conception of Europe (and governance). Out of this discussion, and taking on board the ideas of German `radical constructivists' as well as discourse analysts Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, the article develops the analytical concept of `discursive nodal points'. This concept helps in addressing the problems of the status of European policy in relation to discourse, the national focus in many discourse analyses, and the limitations of conceptualizing change. Throughout the article, this theoretical and methodological discussion is illustrated with examples taken from an analysis of British European policy since World War II. It is argued that a discursive nodal point approach can contribute significantly to our understanding of the multiple positions within the British debate and of the changes within the dominant conceptions of European governance over time, as well as assist us in a critical assessment of these conceptions.