MEPs Talking Trade: What is the effect of politicisation on the rhetorical responsiveness of Members of the European Parliament in plenary debates on Free Trade Agreements?

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have shifted from technocratic instruments to contested topics of public debate. While existing research has extensively examined the drivers of EU trade politicisation, its consequences for parliamentary behaviour at the EU level remain underexplored. This thesis investigates how domestic politicisation of EU trade policy shapes the rhetorical responsiveness of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in plenary debates on FTAs. Drawing on postfunctionalism and EU responsiveness literature, it argues that as agreements become more politicised, MEPs are encouraged to engage more explicitly with public concerns and, under certain ideological conditions, to adjust their discursive positions on FTAs. Empirically, the study analyses four major FTAs (CETA, TTIP, EU–Japan, and EU–Mercosur) across thirteen plenary debates between 2009 and 2019. It combines a multidimensional politicisation index, measured through newspaper coverage in Austria, France, Germany,...Show moreFree Trade Agreements (FTAs) have shifted from technocratic instruments to contested topics of public debate. While existing research has extensively examined the drivers of EU trade politicisation, its consequences for parliamentary behaviour at the EU level remain underexplored. This thesis investigates how domestic politicisation of EU trade policy shapes the rhetorical responsiveness of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in plenary debates on FTAs. Drawing on postfunctionalism and EU responsiveness literature, it argues that as agreements become more politicised, MEPs are encouraged to engage more explicitly with public concerns and, under certain ideological conditions, to adjust their discursive positions on FTAs. Empirically, the study analyses four major FTAs (CETA, TTIP, EU–Japan, and EU–Mercosur) across thirteen plenary debates between 2009 and 2019. It combines a multidimensional politicisation index, measured through newspaper coverage in Austria, France, Germany, and Italy, with a systematic coding of MEP speeches. The findings show that higher levels of trade politicisation significantly increase MEPs’ likelihood of referencing the public sphere, irrespective of ideological orientation. Moreover, politicisation is associated with more negative discursive positions on FTAs, but unevenly: cultural-centrist and economically left-wing MEPs become disproportionately more critical. These results highlight the European Parliament’s role as an arena of rhetorical responsiveness under politicised conditions and contribute to broader debates on EU democratic representation and legitimacy.Show less

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MEPs Talking Trade: What is the effect of politicisation on the rhetorical responsiveness of Members of the European Parliament in plenary debates on Free Trade Agreements?