Religious motifs in the speeches of the President of Argentina J. Milei
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2686-830X-2025-7-4-235-244Keywords:
political discourse, populism, religious discourse, Milei, Argentina, Spanish languageAbstract
This article is dedicated to the analysis of religious motifs in the public speeches by President of Argentina Javier Milei whose political discourse belongs to the right-wing populist strand and is characterised by pronounced expressiveness and agonality. The relevance of this study stems from the fact that the use of religious themes in the speeches of this politician has not yet been the subject of academic research, despite the continuing significance of religious elements in contemporary right-wing populist discourse, even against the backdrop of global secularisation trends. The material for the analysis consists of 86 speeches delivered by J. Milei during the first year of his presidency (December 2023 — December 2024) and published on the official website of the Office of the President of Argentina. The primary objective of the study is to identify and interpret religious motifs, understood as direct or implicit quotations from sacred texts, references to God or various religious practices. The analysis revealed 101 references to religious themes in J. Milei’s speeches, the vast majority of which (99) are associated with the Abrahamic religions. The main source of religious references in J. Milei’s discourse is the Old Testament, particularly the First Book of Maccabees and the Book of Exodus. It has been established that religious motifs are not limited to the concluding parts of the speeches but are integrated into their core content, serving not as incidental elements but as tools for supporting political and economic arguments, and for appealing to the audience’s value system. Based on the conducted analysis, it is concluded that the use of religious motifs in J. Milei’s speeches represents a deliberate strategy aimed at enhancing the persuasive potential of his political discourse.
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