The Performative Function of Parliamentary Opposition in Autocratising Regimes

This paper aims to differentiate the role of parliamentary opposition under autocratising regimes from those in authoritarian or democratic systems. While existing research has extensively explored the functions of parliamentary opposition in both authoritarian and democratic contexts, the competitive dynamics of autocratising states—shaped by remnants of democratic institutions and a legacy of democratic culture—create distinct parliamentary roles for the opposition. In democratic systems, the parliamentary opposition traditionally performs key functions such as representation, legislative agenda-setting, and government formation. These roles are typically limited in authoritarian regimes, where, opposition parties are often reduced to "façade" entities, sharing only superficial power granted through co-optation to maintain the appearance of pluralism. In contrast, this paper highlights a unique performative function of opposition parties in autocratising regimes. Unlike the "façade" opposition in fully authoritarian contexts, these parties—due to their states' democratic legacies and the competitive pressures of elections—are compelled to actively engage with their constituencies. Despite facing significant restrictions on legislative activity, opposition parties in autocratising regimes use parliamentary platforms to symbolically contest the regime. Using social performance theory (Alexander 2010) and video data analysis (Nassauer & Legewie 2022), this study illustrates how opposition MPs in autocratising regimes transform parliamentary proceedings into theatrical performances. Through rhetoric, gestures, and dramatic acts, they craft compelling narratives and share them widely on social media to retrieve public support. This argument is substantiated by an empirical analysis of 145 video clips from the social media accounts of opposition MPs in Turkey prior to the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections. The paper concludes by examining the strengths and weaknesses of the performative function of the parliamentary opposition as a tool of resistance, evaluating its potential to challenge autocratisation while also addressing its limitations.