An old narrative for a new goal: the case of rural areas in the CAP reforms

Can the same narrative support two opposite policy objectives? This paper argues that this can be the case. By analyzing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), it shows that the European Union invoked the centrality of rural areas both to support the introduction of Pillar 2 in the early 2000s and for its elimination in the post-2027 CAP reform proposal. Thus, this paper posits that the European Commission has maintained a stable narrative about the centrality of rural areas as key for environmental protection, cultural heritage, and diversified local economies while adjusting its policy instruments to budgetary constraints, simplification goals and shifting political priorities. Consequently, this paper suggests contrasting narratives with policies to grasp the dynamic interaction between political communication and governance.