This thesis examines how British prime ministers have de-Europeanized the national identity through their discourse before and after the Brexit referendum – or in other words – how they turned away...Show moreThis thesis examines how British prime ministers have de-Europeanized the national identity through their discourse before and after the Brexit referendum – or in other words – how they turned away from the EU by using language. The research is conducted through a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of 25 speeches and statements by David Cameron and Theresa May. The timeframe begins when Cameron promised a referendum on EU membership in January 2013, and ends in October 2017, more than a year after the yes-vote. The analysis reveals that British discourse on common security threats was not gradually de-Europeanized, but internationalised by May by constructing the UK as ‘Global Britain’. Language on migrants from the EU to the UK was already de-Europeanized before the Brexit referendum, and did not change significantly after the referendum. In fact, it gradually normalised after Cameron’s General Election victory in 2015. This study also reveals that both prime ministers could ‘cherry pick’ identities, meaning that they could choose between constructing a national, European, or even global identity to their liking per policy area.Show less
Over the last years, some member states of the European Union have been the target of terrorist attacks. The attacks in France and Belgium in 2015 and 2016 show that the fight against terrorism and...Show moreOver the last years, some member states of the European Union have been the target of terrorist attacks. The attacks in France and Belgium in 2015 and 2016 show that the fight against terrorism and specifically against the Islamic State (ISIS) is far from an end. The thesis aims to discuss if the difficulties faced by Belgium to deal with the issue could influence the adoption of an effective common anti-terrorist policy by member states and if this could be done through the development of CSDP. Could terrorist attacks and the insufficient capacity of Belgium in providing adequate counter-terrorism and intelligence services be considered situations significant enough which could lead to an agreement between member states about the development of an effective Common Security and Defense Policy which would benefit the whole EU? Social constructivism is used as the theoretical basis of this analysis.Show less
