Mapping the EU Place in the U.S. State-Of-The-Union Speeches (1913-2024)

How has the perception of Europe by U.S. presidents varied over time? This paper examines U.S. discursive patterns concerning the European continent. Following World War II, Europe emerged as a bastion of cooperation, peace, and development, especially with the consolidation of the European Union (EU). However, the U.S. perspective of Europe and, subsequently, the EU has been marked by inherent ambiguity. While Europe is considered a strategic ally and partner in maintaining the post-1945 transatlantic order, U.S. foreign policy foundations remain anchored in the Westphalian model of national sovereignty, contrasting with the EU's model of shared sovereignty. In theoretical terms, presidential speeches offer information through saliency and subject matter (Arnold et al., 2023). These speeches allow political elites to shape narratives and reflect ideological assumptions, with the State of the Union (SOTU) Addresses providing critical insights into how American leaders communicate their perceptions of Europe. The methodology includes a Quantitative Speech Analysis (QSA) of 114 SOTU Addresses from 1913 to 2024, collected from The American Presidency Project (UC Santa Barbara). This approach allows us to investigate: 1) the prominence of Europe in presidential rhetoric; 2) the positioning of these presidents regarding Europe; and 3) the key-themes related to Europe. This approach highlights that speech not only reflects ideologies and values but also guides the strategic construction of foreign policy narratives. Preliminary findings indicate that domestic issues dominate SOTU Addresses, with Europe-related topics addressed from a fragmented perspective. Mentions to individual European countries outweigh references of Europe as a unified entity. Nevertheless, discussions about Europe increased after World War II, especially concerning security and strategic alliances. Sentiment analysis indicates a predominantly positive tone toward Europe, but there is no statistically significant difference between Democrats and Republicans presidents, although the latter show slightly less positive sentiments. Overall, presidential discourse underscores Europe’s role as a key ally while reaffirming U.S. priorities of national sovereignty and national security. These findings contribute to understanding the U.S.'s evolving commitment to the transatlantic order and its implications for future relations between U.S. and EU leaders.