A polyphonic marketplace: Images of EU external energy relations in British, French and German media discourses

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has long sought to play a normative role in global energy governance, a role that requires a coherent, comprehensible and memorable image. Yet within its borders, there are divisions and discrepancies on energy, which may have an impact on the external reception of EU actions. France, Germany and the United Kingdom (UK), commonly referred to as 'the EU's big 3', seem to have little in common on issues of energy policy. EU rhetoric on external energy matters places firm emphasis on three key 'frames' of understanding: sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply, yet the domestic rhetorics of France, Germany and the UK variously appear to place priority on one or more of these frames. This paper explores media representations of the EU's external energy relations from within the 'Big 3' EU member states and asks whether the EU's normative agenda on external energy drives these media representations, or whether domestic member state interests dominate.