Alexander (2006) conceives of politics as a “discursive struggle” between actors over public support for their positions. Accordingly, the perceived legitimacy of these actors depends - among others - on the attribution of blame and success in the media which in turn affects the legitimacy of the democratic process as a whole. The Eurozone crisis represents a critical juncture for the future of democracy in Southern European countries and hence, the reported image of core democratic institutions in these countries is of particular importance.
This paper draws on fresh empirical data on attribution claims concerning crisis driven policies and the contention these produced in Southern European countries. The data stems from a collaborative Greek-German research project (GGCRISI) applying a novel empirical tool, Discursive Actor Attribution Analysis which allows approaching legitimacy via a detailed analysis of who blames or applauds whom for what in the debate on the Southern Eurozone crisis.
