Conversational Implicatures in Interviews with Presidential Candidates in the 2022 Elections

A Pragmatic Analysis

Abstract

This article analyzes, from a Pragmatic perspective, how candidates for the presidency of the republic mobilize conversational implicatures in electoral interviews and briefings to manage their public image during the 2022 elections. Based on Pragmatics, the theoretical framework centers on Paul Grice’s theory of implicatures and the Cooperative Principle, in addition to concepts of face preservation and political discourse. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative and interpretive approach, examining excerpts from the Jornal Nacional (Rede Globo) interviews in 2022 with candidates Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Simone Tebet. The results demonstrate that violations of conversational maxims—especially those of Relation, Quantity, and Manner—are not communicative failures but conscious strategic resources. The study concludes that the candidates, as interviewees, utilize implicit meanings to avoid accountability, shift thematic focus, and build legitimacy, revealing that political effectiveness in these interactions depends on the ability to negotiate meanings and manage the effects of public interactional face exposure.