Parliamentary mention networks reflect the organisation and dynamics of Finnish political discourse

Abstract

The primary purpose of the parliamentary discussion is to present and debate legislative drafts. Mentions of other Members of the Parliament (MPs) and interruptions of them represent the structure of the political discourse. Name mentions can be automatically recognised in speech transcripts and linked to the relevant MPs. We construct networks of MPs based on name mentions in 96753 speeches delivered during the electoral terms 2015-2018 and 2019-2022 in the Finnish Parliament to study the structures of interaction within parliamentary discussion. The results show that the networks are not polarized, although there is slight bias towards mentioning one's own party members. Activity on the parliamentary floor, political seniority and minister status have a positive correlation with higher centrality scores of MPs. Our analysis is generalizable to different political arenas and is an interesting basis for comparison across regional assemblies or countries.