“How to Sustain National Security”: A Case Study of the Celebrations of the Slovak National Uprising as a Securitization Platform

Vladimír Naxera and Petr Krčál
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Vladimír Naxera: Department of Politics and International Relations, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia, 30100 Pilsen, Czech Republic
Petr Krčál: Department of Politics and International Relations, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia, 30100 Pilsen, Czech Republic

Social Sciences, 2020, vol. 9, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: This paper focuses on the ways in which political actors make use of historical legacies to present their own determination to sustain their country’s national security. We use the example of the annual celebrations of the anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNU) to demonstrate the ways in which similar celebrations can become a platform for political actors to express requests and address their audience. Using semi-participant observation, we have analyzed six years of these celebrations (2015–2020) and the securitizing strategies and moral panic creation strategies contained in the speeches of participating politicians. Our analysis shows that securitization is taking place, and labels of threat sources are being given not only to topics that are naturally linked to the celebrated event, but also topics that are in no way related to SNU. Despite this fact, politicians use the legitimacy of the event to manifest their own attempts at sustaining security.

Keywords: securitization; moral panic; public ceremonies; use of history; sustainability of security; Slovak politics; Slovak National Uprising (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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