A field of struggles and forces

the space of positions on governance in the euro crisis (2010-2016)

Abstract

On the basis of a qualitative corpus analysis (texts in French and English), we analyse the position-takings about Euro area governance during the period 2010-2016. It allows to draw a multidimensional space structured by opposite poles, in a continuum of orientations. These orientations structure themselves in relation to each-other in a set of power relations. The first part consists in an attempt to define the notion of position-taking, before we try to construct the space of position-takings on a qualitative basis. We distinguish between a juridicoinstitutional orthodoxy, anti-euro stances and a stance of attempts to rebuild the euro area politically and institutionally. To these position-takings one must add the “no-position-taking”. We then assess the evolutionary dynamics of this space.