Frame Shift: Saving the Nation from Demographic Disaster

Abstract

Speaker: Holly Rodgers, University of Warwick This Seminar explores the demographic frames used by populist radical right in Central and Eastern Europe and analyses how they have changed across a series of distinct geo-political phases, dating from 2015-2024. Exploring framing and reframing practices, and mapping these changes, provides an indication of how political attitudes, beliefs, and cultures shift and how political actors respond. Designed to increase the total fertility rate (TFR), pro-natalism encourages procreation and often rewards families for their contribution to preserving the nation. Often presented as a flagship policy of the populist radical right, this presentation analyses how these policies are framed. I identify the core policy frame, “Existential Nostalgic Natalism” and explore the ways in which PiS, EKRE and Fidesz have tailored variants of the frame. I present the analysis at the sub-frame level and investigate the emotional skews that these communicative choices convey. I also explore qualitative shifts within each party’s “Existential Nostalgic Natalism” frame and map these shifts onto geo-political phases. Investigating the reasons for these adjustments, this lecture offers explanations on three levels: firstly, the most overt form of geo-political responsiveness; secondly, historical pressure and legacy constraints; and finally, learning mechanisms. In summary, focusing on pro-natal policies, I present an analysis showing that in addition to influencing the type of frames used, historical and geo-political legacies also impact the scope afforded to parties when responding to the geo-political climate.