Specifying the Arena of Possibilities: Post-structuralist Narrative Analysis and the European Commission's Legitimation Strategies

Throughout its history, the legitimacy of the European Union has constantly been challenged. Eroding levels of political support have not left political elites unaffected. This article focuses on legitimation strategies formulated by the Commission between 1973 and 1994 and applies a post-structuralist framework to account for the development of legitimation strategies over time. The formulation of legitimation strategies becomes possible within distinct discourses while other plans of action to generate political support remain unthinkable. Narrative analysis is proposed as a useful methodological tool to analyze structures of meaning that restrain the Commission in its choice of legitimation strategies.