Attityder kring EU : En kvalitativ undersökning av ideologisk retorik i partimedlemmars motioner inom Socialdemokraterna och Moderaterna

This study explores ideological rhetoric of members of the Swedish political parties of Social Democratic Party (S) and the Moderate Party (M). By examining the language contained in party members motions submitted to party conferences the study aims to highlight if there are any rhetorical trends within the membership of the party. The focus of the study is limited to political rhetoric regarding the European Union. The research field suggests that coalition parties such as S and M may have difficulties reaching a consensus within the wings of their own party regarding attitude towards the EU. Research also suggests that Swedish voters are motivated by points at issue rather than party loyalties, thus making the debated motions at party conferences a relevant topic. The results of the study found several rhetorical trends regarding ideology within S and M. Party members motions in S had ties both to reformistic socialism and the third way when the EU was debated during the congress of 2017. The motions containing rhetoric from the third way had greater success in gaining the approval of the congress, while reformistic socialism had lesser success. Often reformistic socialism and third way mixed together in the motions but EU-critical motions were rejected. Party members motions in M had ties both to liberalism and conservatism but the motions rarely mixed them. Both liberal and conservative rhetoric was met with equal approval at M’s congress of 2015. Motions containing nationalistic rhetoric were found in the motions of both M and S, but these motions did not achieve support at the congresses. Nationalistic rhetoric in S contained leftleaning arguments while motions from M had right-leaning rhetoric but both were critical towards the EU. This might indicate that the attitude regarding nationalism and EU within Swedish political party membership is not clearly defined by a left- or right ideological line