Framing the EU polity: how Commission presidents address crises and shape the Union

The economic crisis that started in 2009 marked the beginning of a series of crises in the EU, leading not only to the politicization of crisis responses but also to that of the EU as an institutional form and a normative order. EU political elites have sought to address policy and polity challenges through public rhetorical action. This article studies the crisis communication of Commission presidents in a qualitative frame analysis of 14 speeches delivered between 2010 and 2023. It shows that while addressing crises, Commission presidents have sought to (re)claim, rationalize, and justify the exercise of authority on behalf of the EU and to reaffirm the social and moral bases on which it is built. The longitudinal time frame and the comparative approach that encompasses multiple crises provide a broad, comprehensive perspective on the framing of major EU crises.