Students’ research. Political Communication in the Context of War in Ukraine: Emotional Narratives in the Speeches of NATO and European Union Leaders

Project idea

This research examines emotional narratives in the communication of NATO and EU leaders during the war in Ukraine. The new phase of Russian aggression against a democratic, peaceful and sovereign state, which was launched on 24 February 2022, provoked strong emotional reactions internationally. During the war in Ukraine, the case of Volodymyr Zelensky has been the most widely analysed. Still, not enough attention is paid to analysing foreign political leaders’ emotional reactions to the war. Therefore, it is important to examine which and how emotions are reflected in the communication of the political leaders of institutions that contribute most significantly to the broad mobilisation of support for Ukraine.

The research aims to analyse which emotions (and in what ways) are invoked in the political communication of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during the war in Ukraine. This study, applying the emotional discourse analysis methodology, will examine the political speeches of Ms. von der Leyen and Mr. Stoltenberg during the course of the war (in the period between 24 February 2022 and 12 July 2023). This research seeks to enhance the researcher’s expertise in the field of political communication by analysing the emotional narratives, their dynamics and differences in the speeches of leaders of political institutions.