International Symposium: From the extremes to the center and vice versa? Radicalization, integration and reconciliation in the local, national and global context.

Academics from diverse fields such as political science, international relations, law, sociology, communication, psychology and linguistics explored the processes of radicalization, normalization and reconciliation in politicalspeech and their implications in society from theoretical and empirical perspectives. This congress, promoted by the research group 'Public discourse', was organized by the 'Public discourse' of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), was attended by keynote speakers Teun A. van Dijk(The Centre of Discourse Studies, Barcelona), Artur Lipiński(Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań) and Umut Korkut(Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow).

Political parties - headed by their leaders - and the media occupy different positions within the public sphere. Their level of influence as political actors varies according to society's perception of them. In this sense, the speech they adopt also adjusts to factors such as their Degree of exhibition, legitimacy or public reception. The symposium addressed both the narratives of dominant actors, who enjoy wide visibility, and those on the margins, who are less recognized by the general public and, consequently, less exposed to social criticism.

Artur Lipiński (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań), an expert in political science, populism, political and media speech , focused his exhibition on the populist communication of the Polish right wing, its affective politics and the discursive constructions of the other "side". "Polish right-wing populists, especially PiS, use hyperbolic language and dramatized metaphors, emotional appeals to nostalgia and national pride further mobilize citizens," the speaker highlighted. For Lipinski, the party positions itself as the sole protector of Polish identity: "Elites and political opponents are blamed for endangering the nation, channeling anger and resentment into political loyalty."

According to the expert, the Polish case demonstrates that populist communication can fabricate crises and reshape public perception through emotional and moralized narratives: "This emotional polarization extends to political opponents, especially the EU and national liberals, whom they brand as traitors. Social networks amplify this dynamic, bypassing traditional media to spread disinformation and reinforce echo chambers. The result is greater distrust, less pluralism and growing social division across Europe." The symposium highlighted how political discourses not only reflect social divisions, but also shape them. Understanding these dynamics is a core topic in a global context marked by polarization.