Constructing Recognition: The Sweden Democrats’ Discursive Legitimation of Somaliland
(2026) SIMZ11 20261Master of Science in Global Studies
- Abstract
- This study examines how the Sweden Democrats discursively construct and legitimize the recognition of Somaliland within contemporary Swedish political rhetoric. By applying the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) within Critical Discourse Analysis, in combination with postcolonial theory and securitization theory, the thesis investigates how recognition is framed through broader narratives concerning legitimacy, security, democracy, migration, and geopolitical alliances. The study demonstrates that the Sweden Democrats do not present recognition as a neutral legal or diplomatic process grounded solely in international law or the formal criteria of statehood. Instead, recognition is discursively legitimized through three interconnected... (More)
- This study examines how the Sweden Democrats discursively construct and legitimize the recognition of Somaliland within contemporary Swedish political rhetoric. By applying the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) within Critical Discourse Analysis, in combination with postcolonial theory and securitization theory, the thesis investigates how recognition is framed through broader narratives concerning legitimacy, security, democracy, migration, and geopolitical alliances. The study demonstrates that the Sweden Democrats do not present recognition as a neutral legal or diplomatic process grounded solely in international law or the formal criteria of statehood. Instead, recognition is discursively legitimized through three interconnected themes. First, Somaliland is constructed as a democratic, stable, and legitimate political actor through a systematic contrast with Somalia, which is represented as dysfunctional, violent, and incapable of self-governance. Second, recognition is linked to migration securitization and remigration policies, where Somaliland is framed as a strategic partner capable of facilitating the externalization of Swedish migration management. Third, Somaliland is positioned within broader Western-oriented geopolitical and security alliances associated with democracy, counterterrorism, and regional stability. Through a comparative analysis with Israeli foreign policy rhetoric concerning Somaliland, the study further identifies significant discursive similarities regarding the construction of legitimacy, stability, and alliance-building. These parallels indicate that the Sweden Democrats’ discourse is embedded within wider transnational and Western-centred geopolitical narratives. The findings suggest that recognition functions not merely as a legal question, but as a political and discursive practice shaped by asymmetrical global power relations, ideological interests, and securitized understandings of international order. The thesis thereby contributes to existing research on recognition politics by highlighting how postcolonial hierarchies and securitized geopolitical imaginaries are reproduced within contemporary European right-wing populist discourse. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9234930
- author
- Radencrantz, Rebecca LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SIMZ11 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Somaliland, Sweden Democrats, recognition politics, postcolonial theory, securitization theory, Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA), right-wing populism, international legitimacy, geopolitics
- language
- English
- id
- 9234930
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-24 10:57:03
- date last changed
- 2026-06-24 10:57:03
@misc{9234930,
abstract = {{This study examines how the Sweden Democrats discursively construct and legitimize the recognition of Somaliland within contemporary Swedish political rhetoric. By applying the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) within Critical Discourse Analysis, in combination with postcolonial theory and securitization theory, the thesis investigates how recognition is framed through broader narratives concerning legitimacy, security, democracy, migration, and geopolitical alliances. The study demonstrates that the Sweden Democrats do not present recognition as a neutral legal or diplomatic process grounded solely in international law or the formal criteria of statehood. Instead, recognition is discursively legitimized through three interconnected themes. First, Somaliland is constructed as a democratic, stable, and legitimate political actor through a systematic contrast with Somalia, which is represented as dysfunctional, violent, and incapable of self-governance. Second, recognition is linked to migration securitization and remigration policies, where Somaliland is framed as a strategic partner capable of facilitating the externalization of Swedish migration management. Third, Somaliland is positioned within broader Western-oriented geopolitical and security alliances associated with democracy, counterterrorism, and regional stability. Through a comparative analysis with Israeli foreign policy rhetoric concerning Somaliland, the study further identifies significant discursive similarities regarding the construction of legitimacy, stability, and alliance-building. These parallels indicate that the Sweden Democrats’ discourse is embedded within wider transnational and Western-centred geopolitical narratives. The findings suggest that recognition functions not merely as a legal question, but as a political and discursive practice shaped by asymmetrical global power relations, ideological interests, and securitized understandings of international order. The thesis thereby contributes to existing research on recognition politics by highlighting how postcolonial hierarchies and securitized geopolitical imaginaries are reproduced within contemporary European right-wing populist discourse.}},
author = {{Radencrantz, Rebecca}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Constructing Recognition: The Sweden Democrats’ Discursive Legitimation of Somaliland}},
year = {{2026}},
}