Terrorism – definition, orsak och verkan: En diskursanalys av Europarådets strategier mot terrorism

Sammanfattning

This essay aims to analyze how the problem representations of terrorism threats in the Council of Europe's “Counter Terrorism Strategy” has changed over time, comparing the strategy for 2018–2022 with the strategy for 2023–207. The analysis derives from the theoretical framework of the Copenhagen School's securitization theory, through a Mixed Method Research combining the What's the problem represented to be-approach with a quantitative analysis. The research contributes to the discourse discipline by examining how discursive power shapes problems and legitimizes actions in the field of counter terrorism. The thesis finds, through the qualitative analysis, that the problem represented to be in the strategy for 2018–2022 is primarily a structural and technological threat. In the strategy for 2023–2027 an ideological problem representation arose following the rise of far-right extremism in Europe. The quantitative analysis accentuated, through relative frequency, the change is discourse and substantiated the qualitative findings. The study draws attention to the lack of a unitary definition and emphasizes the importance of a unified European front, on the basis of shared premises, for member states to effectively counter the terrorism threat.