Personae offered in and responses given to Aznar’s speech

Aznar positions his first persona as an authoritative statesman who speaks on behalf of the Spanish people and is able to act freely in the European context. The second persona that he creates is that of like-minded leading politicians, and the speech does not hold any invitation to broader public

debate on the presented views specifically or the future of Europe generally. Although the speech does set forth the official Spanish position in Europe and on matters of future European reform, it does not call for discussion of these views.

Aznar invites both the general public and the circle of politicians to take note of the Spanish position, but whereas the public is placed in the entirely passive role of the spectator, the politicians are Aznar’s equal partners in the realisation of the European project. Although Aznar does not explicitly request dialogue it is clear that the second personae of the European politicians – and to some extent of the academics in the immediate audience – are influential partners in Aznar’s pragmatic project.

Aznar asks everyone to identify with a middle position in which neither purely

national nor purely European stances are feasible, and he asks his fellow politicians to participate in the process of negotiating solutions that are acceptable to all. However, he does not seek to enhance

Figure 11: The press coverage of Aznar's speech

0 1 2 3 4 5

24.09 25.09 26.09 27.09 28.09 29.09 30.09 01.10 02.10 03.10 Date of publication

No. of articles

EP LF FAZ

the debate on the general questions of what the EU is and what it should be, and he does not invite the public to participate in such discussions. In Aznar’s conception of the EU and the debate on its future only politicians are endowed with agency. Thus, it is quite fitting and in line with the meaning constituted in the speech that it should be met with silence in the mediated public sphere.

Aznar’s utterance is a presentation of his views not an invitation to discuss them. The relationship between the personae that Aznar offers and the (lacking) response to them is illustrated in figure 12.

Figure 12: The personae offered in and responses given to Aznar’s speech

1st persona:

Aznar, Spanish head of state

2nd persona (active):

European academics and politicians

2nd persona (passive):

Spanish and European publics

3rd persona (for debate):

Euro-sceptics and European federalists

All:

Silence

3rd persona (for EU):

Enemies of democracy and freedom

5.1.7. “A superpower but not a superstate” – Blair in Warsaw Presentation of the speech

On the 6^th of October 2000 the British Prime Minister Tony Blair presented his vision of the future of Europe before an immediate audience of Polish and other Eastern European politicians

assembled at the Polish stock exchange in Warsaw.³⁵ Blair sets his proposals firmly within the context of simultaneous deepening and widening. He discusses Britain’s role in Europe and also considers the general nature of the EU. Blair’s message can be summed up as follows: enlargement should happen as soon as possible and include as many countries as possible, Britain’s place is at the centre of Europe, and the European Union should be a strong but not a federal entity.

Constitution of personae

There is no doubt Blair is speaking in his official capacity of British Prime Minister, but he does not set forth an elaborate presentation of his own persona. Instead, Blair’s position shines through in his constitution of audience personae and his presentation of Europe’s future. In the introductory

paragraphs Blair addresses the immediate audience, especially the Poles, and seeks to build a strong relationship between Poland and Britain. Concluding the introductory positioning of the Poles as a free, proud, idealistic people with close links to Britain, Blair says: “Few countries have contributed more to the fall of fascism and Soviet dictatorship in Europe. Now we want you in the European Union” (l. 45-46). This invitation to and promise of entry is repeated twice during the speech and with each repetition it is extended to a broader circle of candidate countries (ll. 77-78 and ll. 417-419). Blair consistently creates a persona for the candidate countries that allows them to participate actively in the European integration process and allies them closely with Britain.³⁶

Affirming the alliance between the UK and the applicant countries, Blair says:

“Britain will always be a staunch ally of all those European democracies applying to join the European Union. A staunch ally, wielding its influence at the centre of Europe” (ll. 80-82). Here Blair speaks for Britain and presupposes its central position in the European context. However, this presupposition is not left unchallenged and the quoted passage marks the beginning of a discussion of the British relationship with Europe, a discussion that is directed as much to the British people as it is conducted for them. The purpose of this discussion is to shift the British position within the EU

35 Several articles make a note of the speech situation; good examples are FT 06/10/00A and Guar 07/10/00A.

36 The friendly, welcoming gesture is also extended to Serbia who has just rid itself of Slobodan Milosevic, the authoritarian leader who now stands trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Says Blair:

“…we must stand ready […] to hold out the hand of partnership to a democratic Serbia, and welcome her into the European family of nations” (ll. 16-18).

from a hesitant and reactionary role to that of a confident and active player. Both Blair’s own persona and the second persona of the British audience are circumscribed by this redefined British-European relationship. “Britain’s future,” Blair concludes, “is and will be as a leading partner in Europe” (ll. 158-159).

As for the European future Blair envisions for himself and the members of his audience it is set squarely between the opposite models of the free trade area and the

federation: the EU should become a superpower but not a superstate (l. 248 and l. 410). Blair claims his reform proposals are shaped to the needs and desires of the European citizens. The European citizenry as Blair defines this persona has common interests, but consists of

independent national demoi (ll. 233-241). Blair assumes the role of spokesperson for the citizens in setting out their demands for “prosperity, security, and strength” (l. 214), and he speaks to the citizens of Europe when arguing that his proposal for reforms is fitted to their priorities (ll. 272-276).

Blair speaks to the European citizens in general and to the peoples of the candidate countries and of Britain in particular. He is asking them to share with him a vision of a

well-functioning European Union that attends to their needs but does not interfere unduly. In so doing, he constitutes the EU as “…a unique combination of the intergovernmental and the supranational” (ll.

245-246), and he emphasises that the issue of institutional change should be submitted to that of the peoples’ demands (ll. 193-196). Blair does not include the possibility of discussing whether or not the EU should widen geographically and deepen politically – that these developments should occur is simply taken for granted (ll. 192-193). Furthermore, he excludes the possibility of reducing British participation in the European project. Thereby, he seeks to discontinue discussion of these issues.

Blair’s claim to knowledge of the citizens’ demands does not invite debate either, but the questions of how the EU’s efficiency and legitimacy are ensured are left open. Thus, Blair invites his immediate and extended audiences to join him in taking a positive and constructive attitude towards Europe and to partake in the consideration of how the Union can most

appropriately realise its superpower potential while remaining celebratory of unique national traits.

He seeks to position both his first and second personae so that they may identify with these discussions and are endowed with the agency needed to partake in them.

5.1.8. England and the rest – the press coverage of Blair’s speech