Inverted Speaking? Marine Le Pen and Her Identity-Resource Language
This study reports on recent computerized analyses of political discourses, particularly of populist discourses. The focus is on the discursive construction of an empathic identity on behalf of Marine Le Pen, leader of the French National Front: this chosen identity allows the political leader to answer gender stereotypes as well as to keep specific fundamentals defining the Front national politics. Working with software such as Termostat or Sketchengine discursive trends are detected by key words such as solidarity, suffering; these trends can then be refined by qualitative studies. On the one hand, this study confirms the political performativity of emotions, when consistent with gender stereotypes. On the other hand, it attests to the presence of rhetorical features of an anti-system party (key concepts prevailing over the years) which are adapted to new political circumstances (the point of view and focus being reworked). Indeed we suggest that Marine Le Pen has switched the FN’s rhetoric from a speech focused on resentment, contempt and nostalgia (Jean-Marie Le Pen’s style) into a discourse playing first on more positive emotions, such as empathy, which is also more in line with a female ethos.