Values as Empty Signifiers?

Abstract This study analyses discourses on values in the online publications of Christian organizations in the EU , focusing on the European People’s Party ( EPP ), European Christian Political Party ( ECPP ), and Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union ( COMECE ). Through a detailed content analysis, it identifies three main recurring themes: migration, biopolitics, and historical references connecting values to European identity and heritage. The findings show the use of references to “values,” which allow each organization to engage in meaning-making that aligns with their perspectives on contemporary issues. Using Laclau’s theory of the empty signifier, the study argues that references to “values” and “Christian values” act as empty signifiers and serve as unifying, hegemonic symbols of European political identity and action.