Alcune strategie retoriche nel discorso politico tunisino: uso dei deittici e ripetizione lessicale

This paper analyses some rhetorical strategies used by the President of the Tunisian Republic al-Bāǧī Qā’id al-Sabsī during his discourse delivered on 20 March 2015, on the occasion of the 59th anniversary of Tunisian Independence and two days after the terroristic attack at the Bardo National Museum. In such a delicate socio-political context, al-Sabsī’s linguistic choices are part of a wider strategy of persuasion aiming at communicating to the Tunisian people that the socio-political and economic crisis can be solved through national unity and shared sacrifices. In particular, the use of personal deixis and lexical repetition of some words referring to national unity will be analysed. Through these rhetorical strategies, al-Sabsī describes himself as a strong and sympathetic leader who invites the people to be united against the internal and external enemies of the country.