Political language in Italy and Great Britain
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12548268 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adrian Lyttelton (Johns Hopkins University SAIS Bologna Center, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 66-74 |
| Publication date | 2009-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Modern Italian Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1354-571X • E-ISSN: 1469-9583 |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13545710802647775 |
| OpenAlex | W1972792147 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 3 |
Patrick McCarthy underlined the role of political language in the crisis of the Italian Republic. It was both a reflection of the crisis and an active agent of political change. A study of Berlusconi's political language reveals the importance of his new, simplified style of political communication in the creation of his party Forza Italia and of his own personal charisma. He has been able to adapt his rhetoric to changing political circumstances and to different publics. Romano Prodi was successful in 1996 in constructing his image as the 'anti-Berlusconi', and Walter Veltroni also broke with the old style of hermetic political discourse acknowledging the inspiration both of Robert Kennedy and Tony Blair, but the language of the centre-left in recent years has generally failed to convey a clear message and has perpetuated obscurity in order to conceal its internal divisions. A comparison with the political language of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair reveals interesting similarities and differences. Thatcher, like Berlusconi, appealed to the need for national revival in the face of the threat from the left, but her language, unlike his, was rooted in the tradition of Protestant individualism and invigorated rather than challenging the existing party system. Blair managed to make skilful use of a new rhetoric of emotion and to incorporate elements of Thatcher's appeal in his 'new Labour' synthesis. In conclusion: McCarthy was deeply preoccupied with the possibility of an alternative and more honest style of political communication. Keywords: Political languagepropagandaBerlusconicentre-leftBritain Notes 1 Referring to Pasolini's famous image of the extinction of the fireflies as a metaphor for Italy's passage to an industrial consumer society, McCarthy remarks 'Pasolini could have said what he meant in banally rational phrases. Instead he chose a great metaphor because he wanted to enter the polemic armed with the sign of literature'. For Sciascia, 'L'affaire Moro is essentially a critique of political language from the viewpoint of the literary.' (2002: 212–3). 2 One of the few of Patrick's theses on Berlusconi's language that cannot be sustained is that he employed a 'restricted vocabulary' of basic Italian, modelled on the language of the Milan supporters' clubs. In fact Berlusconi's speeches employ quite a large vocabulary and he even makes frequent use of Latin phrases and neologisms to show off respectively his culture and his originality, another trait that his speeches share with the Duce's. The simplicity and comprehensibility of Berlusconi's speaking style is achieved through syntax (short sentences, avoidance of subsidiary phrases and subjunctives) and repetition, not through vocabulary. See Benedetti (Citation2004: 219–20). 3 A realistic estimate might be about 50 per cent: see Ricolfi (Citation2005: 59). 4 McCarthy (Citation1994: 250). See also McCarthy (Citation1997a: 351), 'From autumn 1989 to spring 1991. The PCI turned inward and talked mainly to itself.' 5 Ricolfi (Citation2005: 62–3). See also McCarthy (Citation1997a: 350) 'silence too is a discourse and Prodi's aim is to last .... The danger is that silence and sacrifices will kill off this discourse before it takes shape.' A prophetic comment. 6 In 1997 Patrick McCarthy noted already that Veltroni actually listened to the views of the public, a major innovation. 'He began his sentences with an "I think", and he waited to hear what other people thought' (McCarthy Citation1997a: 350). 7 Corriere della Sera, 4 March 2008. 8 Colebatch (Citation1999: 27). Blair interrupted his peace-keeping mission to the Middle East to attack a critic of the Diana cult for his 'unadulterated snobbery .... I honestly can't understand the reason for insulting people's feelings like that ... Diana's power is born out of emotion and there is nothing wrong with that.' See also Anderson and Mullen (Citation1998)
Charisma · Individualism · Linguistics · Media studies · Political communication · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Rhetoric · Sociology · Style (visual arts · History · Law · Linguistic research and analysis · Linguistic Studies and Language Acquisition · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,19 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2015 (6) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |