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This study analyzes the evolution of Spanish political discourse from the democratic transition to 2024, tracing an initial trend toward “de-ideologization” and its subsequent reversal amid political polarization. Drawing on a corpus comprising the State of the Nation Debates and the Investiture Debates from the first term of Felipe González (in office 1982–1996), through the two terms of José María Aznar (1996–2004), José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (2004–2011), Mariano Rajoy (2011–2018), and Pedro Sánchez (2018–2024), this chapter examines ideological shifts in parliamentary language. Initially, Spanish political discourse underwent significant de-ideologization, enabling social cohesion essential for democratic consolidation. This trend aligned with broader tendencies as parliamentary language moved away from ideological rhetoric to a more technical, neutral lexicon. However, the rise of new political forces such as Podemos on the far left and Vox on the far right has reintroduced strong ideological divisions, evident in both the lexicon and metaphors used in parliamentary discourse, underscored by the “vertical” opposition-government dynamic. This study hypothesizes that while initially “de-ideologized,” parliamentary discourse, strongly influenced by populism, now reflects a renewed ideological framing, signaling a return to polarized, partisan language.

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The re-Ideologization of Spanish Parliamentary Rhetoric: From the Transition to the New Politics

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Francisco José Sánchez-García

摘要

This study analyzes the evolution of Spanish political discourse from the democratic transition to 2024, tracing an initial trend toward “de-ideologization” and its subsequent reversal amid political polarization. Drawing on a corpus comprising the State of the Nation Debates and the Investiture Debates from the first term of Felipe González (in office 1982–1996), through the two terms of José María Aznar (1996–2004), José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (2004–2011), Mariano Rajoy (2011–2018), and Pedro Sánchez (2018–2024), this chapter examines ideological shifts in parliamentary language. Initially, Spanish political discourse underwent significant de-ideologization, enabling social cohesion essential for democratic consolidation. This trend aligned with broader tendencies as parliamentary language moved away from ideological rhetoric to a more technical, neutral lexicon. However, the rise of new political forces such as Podemos on the far left and Vox on the far right has reintroduced strong ideological divisions, evident in both the lexicon and metaphors used in parliamentary discourse, underscored by the “vertical” opposition-government dynamic. This study hypothesizes that while initially “de-ideologized,” parliamentary discourse, strongly influenced by populism, now reflects a renewed ideological framing, signaling a return to polarized, partisan language.