Heroes against villains. Frames as the bedrock of unconscious thinking in political discourse

This article focuses on political leader discourses in the context of Kosovo-Serbia relations. It examines how political discourse is used to shape and influence national and international opinion, and to modify the presentation of reality by presenting political truth as historical truth. The analysis of the two speeches here by the leaders of both countries aims to identify their communication strategies, the most common linguistic structures that were used to form and shape the conflict resolution process, to deconstruct their narratives, and compare them. As political speeches generally are built on metaphorical constructions and frames, we demonstrate how complex issues that were previously irreconcilable are represented in these speeches to gain authority, legitimacy, and power.