The Securitisation of Migration in the discourse of Radical Right Parties. A comparative study of Vox and the Rassemeblement National.

The objective of this thesis is to conduct a comparative analysis of the discourse on immigration of two radical right parties in Western Europe: Vox and the Rassemblement National. This research contributes to the existing literature by investigating the connection between radical right parties, anti-immigration discourses and security fames. Firstly, the thesis focuses on the conceptualisation of the securitisation of immigration, ranging from the initial theories of the Copenhagen School of security to a more modern approach that considers securitisation as a frame and examines its relationship with the dynamics of salience and politisation. This section also includes a specific contextual analysis of the securitisation of migration in France and Spain. Secondly, the relationship between radical right parties and immigration is further explored by examining the values and the dynamics of party competition affecting these parties. Furthermore, a closer look at the political contexts in Spain and France is developed before conducting an in‑depth analysis of the parties’ historical evolution, ideological positions, organisational structures, and internal dynamics. Finally, the thesis applies a critical discourse analysis approach to examine the framing and longitudinal evolution of immigration in the discourse of Vox and the Rassemblement National. By assessing patterns of continuity and change, as well as similarities and differences in their positions on immigration, the study seeks to generate insights into the strategic deployment of anti‑immigration narratives by radical right parties. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of far-right parties that have consolidated as influential actors within contemporary Western European politics.