Fear-based self-legitimation in the institutional climate change discourse: Case study of the European Parliament’s online communication

Abstract

Abstract The article offers fresh insights on the intricate interplay between self-legitimation and fear in the climate change institutional discourse by providing nuanced exploration of the specific ways in which the European Parliament exploited fear-based appeals in its online digital communication on climate change action during its ninth term, between 2019 and 2024. It draws on discursive institutionalism and fear appeals theory and adopts a multi-method research approach, combining qualitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis. The article reveals a substantial reliance on fear in the assembly’s self-legitimation discourse and addresses the inherently paradoxical nature of the nexus between self-legitimation and fear.