Irony in German parliamentary discourse

The aim of this study is to identify the linguistic means, pragmatic functions, and discursive features of irony in contemporary German parliamentary discourse. The article examines the realization of irony in the speeches of Bundestag deputies based on the analysis of transcripts of plenary sessions of the 21st convocation. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it systematically and comprehensively describes irony as a multifunctional pragmalinguistic tool in the specific environment of the German parliament for the first time, identifying its new types, markers, and strategic functions, which expands understanding of the interaction of language, power, and ideology in institutional discourse. The study found that irony serves as a key tool in political struggle, functioning through sarcasm, rhetorical questions, false agreement, and opposition. It is used to discredit opponents, dramatize government failures, emotionally influence the audience, and shape specific narratives. The effectiveness of irony depends directly on the shared background knowledge of the communication participants. The prospects for research lie in studying the gender and ideological aspects of the use of irony.