Selling the institutional misfit

This research studies the framing of European integration by the Belgian political parties. In other words, the argumentations these parties use to justify their positions on the EU are scrutinized. To do so, a categorization model for argumentative processes, originally created by Jürgen Habermas was made use of. Furthermore, an exhaustive analysis based on a hybrid set of sources on two of the most debated 'European' issues in the current federal government period (2014-2019) - the discussion on free-trade agreement between Canada and the EU (CETA) and the Brexit - served as empirical data. Building on this conceptualization, this research empirically evidences that ideology has a limited impact on framing strategies by the Belgian political parties. Rather than ideological arguments, the parties primarily frame European integration by using a pragmatic type of reasoning, i.e. by focussing on the political efficiency and efficacy. Thus, regardless of the ideological positions of the parties, ‘Europe’ is primarily argued on in an ‘institutional’ manner by the Belgian political parties.