Abstract
The aim of this paper is to describe the way in which argumentative patterns come into being in plenary debate over legislative issues in the European Parliament. What kind of argumentative patterns are to be expected within this macro context? It is shown that the argumentative patterns that come into being in legislative debate in the European Parliament depend for the most part on the problem-solving argumentation that is put forward in the opening speech by the rapporteur of the parliamentary committee report. This argumentation can be pragmatic problem-solving argumentation or complex problem-solving argumentation. The most important prototypical argumentative patterns are investigated in the argumentation put forward by the Members of parliament. This investigation is based on an inventory of the arguments that can in principle be used to support or attack the initial problem-solving argumentation put forward by the rapporteur.
Highlights
In the last two decades the European Parliament has become an import factor in the legislative process of the European Union
The aim of this paper is to describe the way in which argumentative patterns come into being in plenary debate over legislative issues in the European Parliament
In their comprehensive research project in which they examine the institutional preconditions for strategic maneuvering in legislative debate in the European Parliament van Eemeren and Garssen have characterized the legislative debate as an argumentative activity type
Summary
In their comprehensive research project in which they examine the institutional preconditions for strategic maneuvering in legislative debate in the European Parliament (van Eemeren and Garssen 2010, 2011) van Eemeren and Garssen have characterized the legislative debate as an argumentative activity type They come to the conclusion that the debates in the European Parliament are on the one hand highly regulated: there is a fixed speaking order and there is not much room for interruption. Since the institutional aim of the activity type of legislative debate in the European Parliament is sustained opinion forming on a proposal for legislation, the main type of argument that is to be expected is practical argumentation that is presented directly at the beginning of the debate by the opponent.
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