Searching for an enemy. Populism and the war in Ukraine

Abstract

The Populism has become characteristic of many competitive party systems, including the Slovak one. One of its distinctive features is the searching for an enemy. This text will explain how Slovak populists use communication strategies in the context of political discourse on the war in Ukraine. Through a critical discourse analysis, three sub-discourses are identified, all of which share a common characteristic: they take place against the backdrop of war. Within the analysis of these sub-discourses, some forms of communication characteristic of populists are unmasked. In addition to creating an image of the enemy, producing fear and apprehension is an effective means of mobilizing the electorate. Slovak populists also employ conspiracy theories, which reveal dichotomous thinking in the form of 'us vs. them' or 'us vs. the other.' Given the nature of the discourse, we can also identify terms from the military vocabulary in the language of the populists. Populists utilize these to emphasize a dichotomous perception of reality, thereby reinforcing the contrast between the categories of "us" and "the other."