Abstract

Marine Le Pen, leader of the French ‘Rassemblement National’ party, has made efforts to realign her party in recent years. In public speeches, these efforts are expressed in a more moderate political rhetoric. These efforts have been recognized by the French people; studies show a change in perceptions regarding attitudes towards the party. However, migration and national security remain core political issues in their discourses. This study takes up these subjects and asks about continuities and changes in Marine Le Pen’s attitudinal statements regarding xenophobia. For this purpose, four official speeches were selected, based on a primarily qualitative research scheme. The analysis of the speeches encompasses several levels – pragmatic and lexicalelements are in the foreground, while rhetorical aspects ultimately complement the analysis. The study concludes that xenophobia continues to exist in all her discourses and has not lost relevance in terms of content. However, the linguistic form of their attitudinal statements holds the potential of assuming a more moderate course for the party. The sub-discipline of political linguistics could contribute here to decoding the constitutions of reality.