What is it about?
This study explores how Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán used metaphors in his speeches during the Covid-19 pandemic to discredit and delegitimize critics. By framing opposition voices as “attacks” or “enemies,” Orbán shifted attention away from debate and presented critics as threats to national unity. The research shows how political leaders can use everyday metaphors to reshape public opinion during crises.
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Why is it important?
Metaphors are more than stylistic choices — they can guide how people interpret political events. During a global health crisis, portraying critics as attackers discourages democratic dialogue and normalizes hostility toward dissent. Understanding these strategies helps us see how political language can undermine pluralism, especially in times of emergency when governments have more power over citizens’ lives.
Perspectives
Orbán’s Covid-19 discourse highlights how metaphor is a tool of power: it shapes not only how problems are understood but also who is seen as legitimate in solving them. By studying these patterns, we gain insight into how leaders construct “us versus them” narratives that silence opposition. This perspective can inform broader debates about populism, crisis communication, and the health of democracy.
Lilla Petronella Szabó
Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Attack of the critics, Journal of Language and Politics, January 2022, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/jlp.21068.sza.
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