Energy Policy in the Czech Republic: The EU as a Framing Actor?

Abstract

Since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, scholars have explored whether it
will lead to a closer cooperation between the Member States and the EU
institutions in the field of energy policy. However, little attention has been
paid to the concept of actorness, namely to whether the EU is able to frame
the discourse on energy policy in the Member States. This study seeks to
examine whether the EU can be perceived as a framing actor in the Czech
Republic and whether its framing power differs across various topics and
genres of the political discourse. Methodologically, the article draws on the
Discourse-Historical Approach. As the findings suggest, the framing does
not differ significantly across topics but rather depending on the respective
genre. Also, the framing occurs both explicitly and implicitly as well as
independently of whether the political parties agree or disagree with the
European position.