The Language of Diplomacy in Inaugural Speeches: Roberta Metsola's speech as the New President of the EU Parliament

The study of inaugural speeches is fairly consolidated, especially if we refer to the analysis of the speeches of American presidents. Much less is available on the subject when we delve into lesser-known presidential figures, such as the presidents of European institutions. The analysis of the speeches of American presidents through the methodology of discourse analysis has helped to reveal their political intentions, their way of persuading listeners, building trust and empathy with the public, but also reaffirming their policies and measures relating to the economy, foreign affairs and social issues. In this paper I will focus on the new President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, elected on January 18, 2022. We are therefore in a completely different context, since the two forms of presidency are different in terms of roles, tasks and powers granted. Metsola’s inaugural speech will be analysed from a Discourse Analysis perspective, with a focus on lexical choice, personal pronouns and rhetorical figures to show how she plans to construct the image of the new presidency of the EU parliament and her intended objectives. The paper analyses how those who work in institutions such as the EU try to convey political messages, maintain or change the point of view of their public on certain issues, and understand whether they tend to conform to the consolidated structural and linguistic protocols that characterize their role or whether they (may) lapse into discursive practices that sometimes seem trite and worn-out.