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Livin' on a prayer: Representations of nation and EU in the Albanian political discourse

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Author

  • Marsida Gjoncaj

Summary, in English

"Europe" is, together with "nation" and "state", one of the basic concepts around which national political debates are organised. Within these debates, the term "Europe" takes different (often oppositional) meanings and nuances, depending on the ideological background and interests of the parties involved. The aim of this thesis is to look at how images of the nation and EU are put forward in various political declarations of the two largest parties in Albania, the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party. Based on Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, I analyse how these two parties define and negotiate the Albanian-EU relations from a national identity angle. I conclude that there is a European hegemonic discourse emerging in Albania and that relations between the country and EU are represented through metaphors of the family and the journey. Another conclusion deriving from the analysis is the interchangeable use of the words EU and Europe, where the economic and political union is equated with the historical and geographical name of the continent.

Department/s

Publishing year

2012

Language

English

Document type

Student publication for Master's degree (two years)

Topic

  • Social Sciences

Keywords

  • Europeanisation
  • metaphors
  • political discourse
  • Albania
  • political parties

Supervisor

  • Anamaria Dutceac Segesten (Biträdande Lektor)