The discourse of the far right and the crucial moments of political life

Abstract

Introduction: The political space in contemporary democracies has been expanded by the presence of radical right-wing parties, or rather, the far right. The figure of the political actor, considered an enemy in the construction of such discourse, underpins the reflections of this empirical study. The research addresses the presence and evolution of these parties in Europe, with special attention to Spain, and explores how they shape their discourses and communicative strategies. Objectives: This work seeks to answer the following research questions: How does the discourse of the radical and far right appropriate the assumptions and values of other political ideologies? What strategies are followed in argumentative structures, derived statements and actions, and by the actors who articulate this political discourse? What persuasive resources centered on ethos, pathos, and logos are present in this discourse? In what ways are persuasion and manipulation intertwined in these constructed discourses? Methodology: A mixed methodology is employed: a documentary approach, to highlight the presence and evolution of far-right parties in Europe and, more specifically, in Spain; and a qualitative approach, based on semiotic and discourse analysis, to study the statements of political leaders during campaign events disseminated through media and digital platforms. The categories of observation include actantial functions and narrative modalities in the discursive manifestations, illocutionary force in the execution of discourse, and rhetorical figures that structure it. Results: The analysis shows that the discourses of the far right in Spain and Europe reconfigure elements of other ideologies to legitimize their political stance, construct the “political enemy” as the central axis of their narrative, employ rhetorical strategies that combine emotional appeals (pathos), speaker credibility (ethos), and apparent reasoning (logos), and merge persuasive resources with practices of discursive manipulation. Discussion: These findings suggest that the far right expands its influence in the political space not only through its programmatic proposals but also through its capacity for discursive appropriation and its management of collective emotions. The construction of the “enemy” functions as a mechanism of internal cohesion and differentiation from other political actors. Furthermore, the analysis illustrates how the boundaries between persuasion and manipulation become blurred in their communication strategies. Conclusions: The study makes it possible to understand that the far right is sustained by a hybrid narrative that takes up external values and re-signifies them for its own political project; that its discourses are built upon argumentative structures in which the “other” functions as a threat; and that the effectiveness of its messages lies in the combination of ethos, pathos, and logos with rhetorical resources that reinforce political manipulation. Analyzing these practices is key to understanding the rise and consolidation of these political forces in contemporary democracies.