Governing the green, digital, and social interface in the EU: A critical view from a “problem representation” perspective

This article examines the EU’s discursive governance of the green-digital-social nexus through Carol Bacchi’s “What’s the Problem Represented to be?”’ (WPR) approach. By scrutinizing key European Commission documents, the study interrogates how “problems” are constituted within these intersecting agendas, identifies strategic silences, and traces the construction of subject positions. Findings suggest that the ecological modernization discourse elides deep-seated socio-environmental conflicts by framing technology as the sole driver of sustainable growth, while the digital transition narrative constitutes systemic crises as technical hurdles remediable through the promise of constant innovation. These tensions extend to the EU’s social agenda, revealing a discrepancy between formal inclusion commitments and a narrative of empowerment that effectively privatizes social risk. Ultimately, a fundamental misalignment emerges: the pursuit of market dominance sits in growing tension with the EU’s normative identity, creating a dual threat to its social agenda at home and moral authority abroad. The analysis establishes a framework for reconsidering EU governance structures, prioritizing the re-centring of social equity.