Open Access

Migration Discourse in Slovak Politics. Context and Content of Migration in Political Discourse: European Values versus Campaign Rhetoric


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Scheme 1

The most frequent words in the media titles during the analyzed period.
The most frequent words in the media titles during the analyzed period.

Graph 1

The most cited Slovak politicians in the migration discourse
The most cited Slovak politicians in the migration discourse

Images 1 and 2

Slovak political elites (Prime Minister in the left panel; President in the right panel)
Slovak political elites (Prime Minister in the left panel; President in the right panel)

General view on the analysis of print media in relation to the “migration (refugee) crisis” in Slovak Republic in the period May 2015–March 2016

MonthNumber of days analyzed in the context of the visibility of “migration (refugee) crisis”Visibility of media messages on migration (refugee) crisisThe average number of messages within the analyzed daysRepresentation of the theme of “migration (refugee) crisis” throughout the month
May5112.216%
June11171.536%
July15291.948%
August14271.945%
September21894.270%
October1854358%
November1030333%
December13221.742%
January23431.8772%
February2448260%
March24502.162%
Total1784202.4

The most frequent phrases of Slovak politicians connected to refugee crisis

MonthPhraseDominant discourse
May“Quotas are not the solution, solution is in the countries of migrants’ origin”Slovakia is not responsible
June“Moral duty”Slovakia is not responsible
“Compulsory solidarity”
“By adopting quotas, we make contracts/agreements with traffickers”
“Quotas are not the solution, solution is in the countries of migrants’ origin”
July“We can choose the migrants”Slovakia is not responsible
“Quotas are not the solution, solution is in the countries of migrants’ origin”
August“Quotas are not the solution, solution is in the countries of migrants’ origin”Refugees – economic migrants
“Failure of EU”
“Migrants – economic speculators”Slovakia is not responsible
September“Border protection”Migrants – security risk
“Refugees are security risk”Refugees – economic migrants-different religion
“Green signal to traffickers”
“Impossible to integrate someone with completely different religion and traditions”
“I can just hardly imagine that the Muslims could integrate in Slovakia….”
“Could be harassing someone, who can find 5,000 euros to pay the traffickers?”
“Look how many young men who came to seek for work are there, there are around 90% of them”
“Absolute majority of the refugees are economic migrants”
October“Mechanism the biggest danger for the EU”Refugees – security risk
November“To protect Slovakia”Refugees – Muslims – terrorists – security risk
“We are monitoring every Muslim”
“Two attackers came with refugees”
“Security of the country”
December“We could take 800 Muslims, but we do not have any mosques in Slovakia, so how could we integrate them, if they would not like it here?”Migrants - different
“I consider quotas to be nonsensical and not possible to implement, they are fiasco. They are only on the paper. ”
January“I feel sorry that the public officials who are responsible for the security of Slovak citizens underestimate the security aspect of the migration crisis.”Migrants – sexual harassment – danger
“Big security risk”
“Different cultural habits and different religion”
“When someone does bombard a regime and the result is chaos, it cannot force the whole Europe to subsidize.”
“I consider quotas to be nonsensical and not possible to implement, they are a fiasco. They are only on the paper. ”
“Every Muslim who is on the territory of Slovak Republic is being monitored.”
“There is a significant indication about the origin of the attackers. Some can call them immigrants, some can say migrants.”
“I would not like to mention that in front of Bratislava train station, thousands of migrants vulgarly bother Slovak women.”
“We do not want that, in Slovakia, something would happen like in Germany, that someone would be bothering our women in public areas.”
February“Until I am the Prime Minister, no migrants will come to Slovakia on the basis of mandatory quotas.”Security – rejection of quotes (inefficiency of quotes)
“Security of this state is for me priority number one.”
“Slovakia not only rejects mandatory and temporary quotas, but also on voluntarily basis, the government doesn’t make any decision that could lead to the creation of a coherent Muslim community in Slovakia…These events are supposed to be an answer to those who stated that migrants with different religions could be easily integrated. They cannot; it is simply not happening.”
“We are against the nonsensical and inefficient quotas.”
March“Refugees don’t exist anymore.”
“Coalition stopped being interested in the refugees.”