Andrus Ansipi ja Edgar Savisaare demokraatiadiskursused Eesti Päevalehes ja Postimehes aastatel 1998-2009

Abstract

Democracy discources of Andrus Ansip and Edgar Savisaar in newspapers Eesti Päevaleht and Postimees between 1998-2009. In this research the main focus is pointed on the discourse of Estonian politicians Andrus Ansip and Edgar Savisaar in Eesti Päevaleht and Postimees during the years of 1998 till 2009. The goal is to frame the changes of their political course in time. Combined research measures were used (quantitative text analysis and critical discourse analysis). Total of 80 articles (opinions, news and interviews) were analyzed. The theoretical basis of this paper is composed of the theory of liberal democracy peculiar to European Union. It was divided into two models: defensive and developing democracy. In addition it included the four influences of liberal democracy: elite, pluralism, neoprulalism and new right-sided influences. Theoretical part gives an overview of the theory of political discourse. For specific analysis a political context has been pointed out, the timeframe that selected politicians were active. In empirical part the articles were analyzed and they were compared to speeches by politicians during 1998 – 2009, to frame their political discourse and prove or disprove the hypothesis: the political discourse of politicians change with their power position. It can be noticed by Andrus Ansip and Edgar Savisaar discourse that it has changed with the change of power positions. Andrus Ansip discourse as major of Tartu emphasized equality and political elite of which the discourse framed as developing democracy influenced by the elite. By the change of power position and being now involved in Estonians politics the economical values and citizens freedom debate rise. For that his discourse framed as defensive and neopluralistic democracy. As becoming prime minister the economical debate deepened and to the framework a new-right-sided-influence added. The discourse of Edgar Savisaar is the opposite of Ansip. During the years his discourse has not changed from social equality debate what for his discourse stays in every power position as developing democracy model. But by the changes in positions different democratic influences can be found in his texts. Therefore his discourse is mainly framed only as developing democracy model, which is mainly influenced by socially topical political topics. The empirical analysis shoes that hypothesis raised is partly true. Andrus Ansip has changed his discourse as he moved from local politics to Estonians politics. It turned from developing democracy model to defensive democracy and from elite’s influence to neoprulalistic and new-right-sided influence. But Edgar Savisaar has not changed his discourse as it has stood in the frames of developing democracy on different power position. Although it has been influenced different strains of democracy on every position.