Motion, Container and Equilibrium: Metaphors in the Discourse about European Integration

The study of metaphors in political discourse provides an excellent opportunity to introduce discourse analysis to theories of European integration and international relations. This article suggests a framework of analysis for linking the study of metaphors with these literatures. In a first step, the article connects the International Relations concepts of macro-structure, micro-structure and internalization with the analogous concepts of conceptual metaphors, metaphorical expressions and sedimentation as used in the study of metaphors. In a second step, it examines key metaphors used in discourses on the future of the EU. The empirical analysis suggests that the metaphors of MOTION, CONTAINER and EQUILIBRIUM OF CONTAINERS are the most significant discursive representations of the EU.