Framing the European Green Deal: political and media energy discourses in Czechia and Sweden

Abstract

The European Green Deal (EGD) has become a key reform process in the European Union with a major impact on energy reforms in the Member States (MS). At the national level, the discourse around EGD and the Fit for 55 package plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and potentially influencing behaviour. While scholars have examined particularly the EU discourse on the EGD, this paper focuses on Czechia and Sweden, two MS with contrasting attitudes towards renewable energy deployment and climate protection. Using the methodological framework of the Discourse-Historical Approach, the comparative analysis examines how EGD is framed within political and media discourses in these countries during the first phase of reform implementation (2019–2022). The main findings suggest that despite contextual differences, EGD appears to be universally accepted and shows resilience even in the midst of external and internal changes. Notably, although the argumentative strategies differ, the overarching acceptance of EGD remains consistent.