Left-wing Populists Internet-discourse in France as a Self-representation before the European Parliament Elections in 2024

The article analyzes the Internet discourse of left-wing populists in France as their representation in the run-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections (using the example of the Unbowed France movement). Modern politics increasingly relies on Internet technologies that form communication channels between political forces and influence their interaction. Thus, Internet communication between activists of various parties and movements during the pre-election period has become an integral part of the political struggle in France. The electoral successes of right-wing populism in France, represented by M.Le Pen, have led to increased interest in the study of this phenomenon. At the same time, the topic of left-wing populism, support for which has also increased during the last electoral cycles in France, has not yet been sufficiently studied in domestic political science. The methodology of the study is based on the analysis of the discourses of E.Laclau and Ch.Mouffe – identifying the antagonism of discourses, determining the nodal points and socio-political contradictions that led to the statements of left-wing populists. Based on the theory of P.Ibarra and J.Kitsuse, the main rhetorical strategies of left-wing populists are determined. The study has theoretical and practical significance for the academic community and specialists in the field of socio-political parties and movements. The work may be of interest to researchers of contemporary socio-political life in France.

1. Ibarra P., Kitsews J. The discourse of making claims and vernacular resources. Social’nye problemy: konstrukcionistskoe prochtenie [Social problems: a constructionist reading]. Kazan: Publishing house of Kazan. un-ta, 2007:55–114 [In Russian].

2. Koshkin A.V. Rhetorical idioms in strategies of agenda problematization. Nacional’nye gosudarstva v usloviyah global’nyh vyzovov [Nation-States in the context of global challenges]: factors of stability of political systems: collection of abstracts of the XII International Youth Scientific Conference, St. Petersburg, May 28, 2021. Saint-Petersburg: Skifia-print, 2021:82–84 [In Russian].

3. Lapina N.I. People do not stop rebelling: actors, strategies, political lessons of social protest in modern France. Vlast’ i elity. [Power and elites]. 2023; 2:183–210 [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.31119/pe.2023.10.2.8. EDN: AYYAYB.

4. Lebedeva T.Y., Minaeva L.V. Theory and practice of digital political culture: French school of communication studies view. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. [Moscow University Bulletin]. Series 25. International relations and world politics. 2023; 1:188–208 [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.48015/2076-7404-2023-15-1-188-208.

5. Moroz E.V. On some aspects of the construction of social competence value foundations. Sociology in the post-global world: Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific Conference, St. Petersburg, November 17-19, 2022. Saint-Petersburg: Skifia-print, 2022:898–900 [In Russian].

6. Morozova S.S., Budko D.A., Babyuk I.A. Features of political communication in virtual communities of the global challenges and risks context. Politicheskaya ekspertiza [Political Expertise]: POLITEX. 2023; 2:230–243 [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu23.2023.206.

7. Parma R.V. Trends in the political parties development in the digital environment of communications. Vlast [Power]. 2023; 4:121–125 [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.31171/vlast.v31i4.9700.

8. Popova O.V. Communication peculiarities of politized communities in Russian language telegram channels. Politicheskaya ekspertiza [Political Expertise]: POLITEX. 2023; 2:215–229 [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu23.2023.205.

9. Castells M. Networks of Outrage and Hope: Social Movements in the Internet Age. Cambridge: Polity, 2015:300 [In English].

10. Haapala T. Disrupting European politics? Rhetorical analysis of MEP Manon Aubry’s politicising strategies in Twitter. Journal of Contemporary European Studies. 2023; 31:1–37 [In English].

11. Laclau E., Mouffe C. Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics. London: Verso, 2014:240 [In English].