Analysis of Political Speeches during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in a Comparative Perspective of Male- and Female-Led Governments

Abstract

The pandemic of the new type of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is still a global problem. Among other things, the pandemic also significantly affected the political preferences of the parties and therefore significantly affected the political statements and speeches of prime ministers or presidents. In this study, we analyse the political speeches of prime ministers in the countries ruled by the parliamentary system. The analysis of the speeches of the heads of government is perceived in the comparative perspective of the V4 countries led by men and North- Western European countries led by women. We focus on the political statements given during the first wave of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic outbreak. The very differentiation of the various manifestations is set in the geographical, political, and economic context of the countries involved in the study. We apply qualitative research data analysis software – NVivo – to identify common features as well as differences between individual representatives. In the speeches, we monitor selected areas in terms of content as well as the form of language used by the country leaders in the initial phase of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic Significant differences are observed in both the way of speaking and the content. Despite considerably better pandemic situations in the countries led by men, their messages were more negatively put, and they spread fear far more than the female group of leaders did. Female leaders were more oriented towards individuals, the vulnerable, and their messages were more of a positive nature despite having worse pandemic situations back in the spring of 2020.