Framing European Integration in the Case of NextGenerationEU in Frugal and Non-Frugal Countries

The establishment of NextGenerationEU (NGEU) marked an unprecedented expansion of the EU's fiscal capacity. Due to joint borrowing and elements of supranational delegation, it has been hailed by some as a significant step towards a European fiscal union. However, as this is a highly controversial step, negotiations on the aid package were characterised by conflict. This research aims to examine how the national media framed European integration during the negotiations, and whether neo-functional, intergovernmental, or post-functional concepts were reflected. To this end, a qualitative content analysis of newspaper coverage in both frugal and non-frugal countries will be conducted. As similar research has only previously been conducted on European-wide media or has not incorporated all major theories of integration, this study will substantially contribute to a better understanding of integration-specific media framing. Initial results suggest that, despite the NGEU’s expansion at the supranational level, media reporting in both groups of countries remained intergovernmental in nature. Following this logic, this paper will suggest that public perception will be characterised by national perspectives, even in moments that appear to be supranational. This will contribute to the understanding of integration dynamics, with national narratives playing an important role in legitimising deeper integration, particularly in policy areas where the EU has limited competence.