An attempt is made to demonstrate the usefulness of a cognitive-interactive model of metaphor for analyzing political discourse. On the basis of German, French, and Russian politicians' utterances and texts, the use of the "common European house" metaphor in political discourse is examined from a transnational and linguistic perspective. In terms of distinguishing national discourse styles based on metaphor choices, Russian political discourse is characterized as conceptually marked by a concern with both commonality and closure, French is seen as rather abstract and indirect, and German is found to use the house metaphor in relation to internal concerns. (Copyright 1993, Sociological Abstracts, Inc., all rights reserved.) (LLBA 1993, vol. 27, n. 2)