The Specifics of Modern Political Communication in Germany: the Fight For Lexicon

Abstract

Abstract. This article highlights some aspects of modern political communication in Germany. Various linguistic and extralinguistic factors determine the relevance of the problem. The main purpose of the article is to look at the sphere of “language and politics” from the point of view of their interrelation, to demonstrate the power that the language of politics has over public opinion and the political situation in the country. To this end, the article describes the language of politics in terms of political linguistics, offers a classification of political vocabulary, and characterizes word–symbols, such as Liberty, Safety, Democracy and Terrorism as a reasonable way of expression and differentiation between words and political content. It is noted that political communication as an ideological discourse is aimed at the fight for power, while the main task of the language of politics is the fight for vocabulary, which ultimately is the fight for voters. The desire to influence the political preferences of voters in conditions of a worsening migration crisis in Germany dictates the need to consciously choose one’s words: positive words-banners, such as Peace, Fairness and Safety, to increase the importance of their position in public opinion, or to mobilize their own supporters; or negative words-labels, such as Terrorist, Islamist and Extremism, to reduce the importance of the position of the enemy or verbally attack one’s political opponent. Through the example of actual concepts of migration discourse, namely welcome culture, leading culture, farewell culture, the article examines the strategies and tactics through which political communication is a struggle for vocabulary, thus showing the correlation of language and policy.