| Summary: | This thesis concerns political communication during the coronavirus pandemic and aims to examine how Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron articulate power and national identity in two speeches. The research questions posed were 1) Which were the communicated discourses in Donald Trump’s and Emmanuel Macron’s speeches to their respective nations? 2) What are the similarities and/or differences between how Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron communicated power and which part does national identity play in their speeches? The theoretical framework used involved Foucault’s theories concerning discourse as well as his notions on power, discipline, knowledge, truth, and governmentality, which were also used as an analytical framework. Moreover, the research questions were answered using a qualitative content analysis on the textual aspects of the speeches and a semiotic analysis on the visual aspects of the speeches. The results concluded that both Trump and Macron frequently used nationalistic discourses in order to unite and coordinate their respective nations, as well as economic and political discourses. Macron also used a militaristic discourse in his speech, while Trump isolated and elevated the United States from the rest of the world. Furthermore, power was manifested through political decisions and appealed to individual responsibility and discipline. Additionally, Macron highlighted state power with rules and punishment. Finally, this study can shed light on populist political communication during the coronavirus pandemic.
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