Framing the Crisis of EU Fundamental Values: Levels of Europeanization in Dutch Newspapers

Pim Antonius Alexander MULLER

Master's thesis

The Politicization of European Integration: the Rule of Law crisis of the EU in public discourse in the Netherlands.

Abstract:

There is an ongoing political debate in the European Union about the state of democracy and the rule of law in two of its member states: Poland and Hungary. Since these issues do not only pertain to the rule of law, but to the fundamental values of the EU in general, it is argued that a "Crisis of EU Fundamental Values" is a more appropriate term than a "Rule of Law Crisis", which is often used. The issues that the governments of Poland and Hungary pose for the EU raise critical questions about the development of the European integration project. This thesis therefore relates this crisis to two important theoretical concepts in the field of European Studies: Europeanization and the European Public Sphere. Through a qualitative framing analysis of 49 opinion articles in Dutch quality newspapers, it is shown that there are fundamental differences in the understanding of the crisis of EU fundamental values between, in this case, a center-leftwing oriented newspaper (De Volkskrant) and a center-rightwing oriented newspaper (NRC Handelsblad). In discussing the issue, De Volkskrant related its readers to Poles and Hungarians through their shared European citizenship and published fundamental criticisms on the European Union, while NRC Handelsblad emphasized differences between Eastern- and Western Europe and urged the EU to defend the liberal democratic status-quo. These differences could have important implications for future research on Europeanization and the European Public Sphere. These implications will be assessed and discussed.

Abstract:

There is an ongoing political debate in the European Union about the state of democracy and the rule of law in two of its member states: Poland and Hungary. Since these issues do not only pertain to the rule of law, but to the fundamental values of the EU in general, it is argued that a "Crisis of EU Fundamental Values" is a more appropriate term than a "Rule of Law Crisis", which is often used. The issues that the governments of Poland and Hungary pose for the EU raise critical questions about the development of the European integration project. This thesis therefore relates this crisis to two important theoretical concepts in the field of European Studies: Europeanization and the European Public Sphere. Through a qualitative framing analysis of 49 opinion articles in Dutch quality newspapers, it is shown that there are fundamental differences in the understanding of the crisis of EU fundamental values between, in this case, a center-leftwing oriented newspaper (De Volkskrant) and a center-rightwing oriented newspaper (NRC Handelsblad). In discussing the issue, De Volkskrant related its readers to Poles and Hungarians through their shared European citizenship and published fundamental criticisms on the European Union, while NRC Handelsblad emphasized differences between Eastern- and Western Europe and urged the EU to defend the liberal democratic status-quo. These differences could have important implications for future research on Europeanization and the European Public Sphere. These implications will be assessed and discussed.

Keywords

Europeanization, rule of law, European Public Sphere, national mass media, framing

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 1. 8. 2018

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. Radomir Sztwiertnia

PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY OLOMOUC

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Humanities / Euroculture