Drugie exposé Donalda Tuska, czyli próba utrzymania władzy. Strategie perswazyjne

The article focuses on an analysis of the basic persuasion strategies employed in Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s second policy statement delivered on 12 October 2012. They include using positive images, creating a bond between the speaker and the addressees, emphasising the significance of the issues discussed as well as lending credence to the statement. The text contains almost no negative vocabulary, with the dominant values present in it being security, trust and hope. The style of the speech is devoid of pathos; instead, it is full of colloquial terms and metaphorical descriptions intended to bring the complex political problems closer to people thanks to references to everyday life. Devices meant to lend credence to the speech are dominated by two opposing techniques: making the message subjective and categorical. The addressees’ trust can also be increased by verbal identification with the so-called ordinary people as well as emphasis on their problems and concerns. Stressing the significance of the issues raised is to indirectly boost the speaker’s self-esteem and to translate into a belief that power is in the hands of the right individuals. The prime minister’s second policy statement can be viewed as an attempt to hold on to power at a time when society’s trust in the government was on the wane.