Unmasking Diplomacy: A Narrative Analysis of EEAS Press Materials During the Covid-19 Pandemic

This paper examines how the European External Action Service (EEAS) mobilized masks as both material and symbolic tools in its Covid‑19 press communications. Based on a corpus of 110 EEAS press materials (2020-2024), it combines a Narrative Policy Framework analysis of characters, settings, plots, and morals with a critical policy discourse analytical lens to unveil the narratives constructed. In these stories, Covid‑19 is cast as a villain, the EU and Member States as heroes, vulnerable populations as victims, global communities as beneficiaries, and disinformation actors as shadow foes. Three phases emerge: masks as emblems of global solidarity that showcase large‑scale EU support and responsiveness; masks as warning signals of strategic dependency provoking calls for European autonomy; and masks as precursors to vaccine equity. Findings show that enumerations, intertextual references to existing EU mechanisms, curated quotations, and long lists aimed to portray the EU as a credible, reliable actor. By weaving material objects into coherent narratives, the EEAS crafted a resilient institutional image that reinforced legitimacy and advanced collective action and identity during the crisis.