Tracing Frame Trajectories in Policy Debates: Placing the EU in Global Discourse Networks

Abstract This special issue explores the evolving trajectories of policy frames in European and global public policy, emphasising the non‐linear processes through which frames emerge, diffuse and become salient or silenced over time. The contributions focus on how actors in governance, ranging from governments and international organisations to civil society, form discourse coalitions and compete to define policy issues and solutions. Unlike the existing literature that prioritises the study of frame effectiveness or linear models, this issue centres on ‘frame trajectories’, tracing how frames travel, interact and change within complex political networks. The issue introduces a new research agenda that adopts a long‐term, relational perspective, considering both the internal dynamics of policy debates and the broader social structures that shape them. Empirically, the contributions focus on European and global public policy over the last two decades, covering the ‘golden age’ of liberalism and the liberal international order, along with its recent backlash and contestation. This period has been marked by multiple crises, technological breakthroughs and significant events that have triggered policy debates across diverse issue areas. The European Union (EU) has been central to these shifts. The contributions use discourse network analysis and interviews to analyse policy frames in key global fields, such as migration, climate governance, artificial intelligence regulation, and health data sharing. The findings highlight how frames evolve in response to crises, institutional changes and shifting actor coalitions, providing new insights into the complexities of global policy‐making and the EU's role as a key actor in these evolving debates.