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Article published In: Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 20:6 (2021) ► pp.825–851

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Discursive (re)construction of populist sovereignism by right-wing hard Eurosceptic parties in the 2019 European parliament elections

Insights from the UK, Italy, the Czech Republic and Slovakia

ORCiD logo with link | Palacky University | Masaryk University
 | University of Cagliari
Published online: 5 January 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.20024.bru
Abstract
The overarching aim of the article is to investigate the discourse of populist sovereignism as articulated by the leaders and/or leading candidates of four right-wing hard Eurosceptic populist parties in the following countries during the 2019 elections to the European Parliament: the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. The political parties investigated are Freedom and Direct Democracy, League, People’s Party Our Slovakia and Brexit Party. Using the analytical tools of Critical Discourse Analysis and drawing on the concept of populist sovereignism, the study investigates how right-wing Eurosceptic populist sovereignism was discursively (re)constructed by right-wing hard Eurosceptic parties during the 2019 EP elections across the four cases. As such, the inquiry brings fresh insights as it looks at right-wing populist discourse through the sovereignism perspective, thus complementing the literature on populist mobilization that focuses on grasping the linkage between populism and sovereignism.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical and conceptual framework
  • 3.Case selection, data and methodology
  • 4.Empirical analysis and discussion of findings
    • 4.1People versus elite
    • 4.2Claims of legitimacy
    • 4.3Outsider position
    • 4.4Interests
    • 4.5Legal aspects
    • 4.6Political-strategic considerations
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
References (61)
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