Legitimation and argumentative strategic maneuvering in the political field:Traian Băsescu’s ‘suspension speech

• Published in: Bucharest working papers in linguistics Vol. IX; no. 2; pp. 28 - 42
• Main Author: Ietcu-Fairclough, Isabela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bucharest University Press 2007; Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti; Editura Universitatii din Bucuresti
• Subjects: a pragma-dialectical conception of argumentation; Language and Literature Studies; legitimacy; strategic maneuvering; pragmadialectics; strategic manouevring; political field
• ISSN: 2069-9239; 2069-9239

In this paper I am trying to bring together a pragma-dialectical conception of argumentation, a
sociological conception of legitimacy, as well as a sociological theory of the political field. I will draw on the pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation developed by van Eemeren and Grootendorst (1992, 2004) and particularly on the concept of strategic maneuvering (van Eemeren and Houtlosser 2002, 2003, 2005), as well as on approaches to legitimacy by philosophers and sociologists (Habermas 1976, 1984, Beetham 1991). In particular, I will draw on the theorization of the political field developed by Bourdieu (1991) and try to consider what new insights might be brought to the analysis of strategic maneuvering by taking account of sociological analyses of the political field. The text I am analyzing is a political speech made by the President of Romania after his suspension by Parliament in April 2007.