Travail écrit : "Populism in France : applying discourse theory and critical discourse analysis to compare the populist rhetoric, individual ideology and recuring thematic of Mélenchon and Le Pen during the campaigning meetings held in the context of the 2022 French presidential election"

Abstract

This work has investigated the question of populism as a discourse type. It focused on the thematic, ideology and rhetoric mobilized in the discourses of Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon using critical discourse analysis and discourse theory. The main objective of this work was to see how these two politicians addressed their electorate, what subject they bring up, what is their expression of “the people vs the elite” and compare all these different elements from their campaign meeting speeches. Nevertheless, their mobilization of populist rhetoric, despite being polar opposite of right and left representation, was identical. Overall, they tended to agree on a considerable number of subjects as detailed in the discourse analysis; both were Eurosceptics, in favor of leaving NATO and the European Energy Market for example but they have fundamental differences that set them apart as well. The substances of their discourse were presenting two polar ideas for the future of France. On the one hand, Marine Le Pen presents herself as the savior of the French nation and the ultimate defendant of the French culture, civilization, and language. On the other hand, Mélenchon who insists on the crucial need for harmony between humans themselves and with nature before it is too late to act on the climate crisis.