Structural limitations in Irish local government and public policy innovations: a case study of Co. Westmeath
Authorship
O.C.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
O.C.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
Defense date
07.03.2025 10:00
07.03.2025 10:00
Summary
This Master's thesis examines the structural limitations of the Irish local government system in developing innovative public policies, seeking to identify necessary reforms that can strengthen local autonomy. The research uses the legal framework established by the European Charter of Local Self-Government as a reference point and employs Co. Westmeath as a practical case study. The methodology combines documentary analysis with qualitative interviews, in addition to including a concrete public policy proposal focused on revitalising Irish folklore and language through local libraries. The analysis reveals various weaknesses in the current system, including the excessive concentration of power in the executive branch of the local County Council, limited local financing available, and the restricted legal capacity of elected councillors. In response to these issues, a set of reforms spanning legislative, administrative, and organisational areas is proposed to consolidate local democracy. The Scéalta na hIarmhí (Westmeath’s Stories) project serves as an illustrative example of how local authorities can drive social innovation with cultural and community impact, even when operating within highly centralised institutional frameworks.
This Master's thesis examines the structural limitations of the Irish local government system in developing innovative public policies, seeking to identify necessary reforms that can strengthen local autonomy. The research uses the legal framework established by the European Charter of Local Self-Government as a reference point and employs Co. Westmeath as a practical case study. The methodology combines documentary analysis with qualitative interviews, in addition to including a concrete public policy proposal focused on revitalising Irish folklore and language through local libraries. The analysis reveals various weaknesses in the current system, including the excessive concentration of power in the executive branch of the local County Council, limited local financing available, and the restricted legal capacity of elected councillors. In response to these issues, a set of reforms spanning legislative, administrative, and organisational areas is proposed to consolidate local democracy. The Scéalta na hIarmhí (Westmeath’s Stories) project serves as an illustrative example of how local authorities can drive social innovation with cultural and community impact, even when operating within highly centralised institutional frameworks.
Direction
BENITEZ BALEATO, JESUS MANUEL (Tutorships)
BENITEZ BALEATO, JESUS MANUEL (Tutorships)
Court
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
Master Thesis Analysis of Disinformation Campaigns in Russia through YouTube Comments: Case Studies on the War in Ukraine and the Death of Navalny
Authorship
R.E.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
R.E.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
Defense date
07.10.2025 11:00
07.10.2025 11:00
Summary
This Master's Thesis analyzes patterns of disinformation and political polarization in YouTube comments related to the war in Ukraine and the figure of Alexei Navalny. To do so, more than 20,000 comments were collected from ten videos selected for their media and political relevance between 2022 and 2025. Techniques of natural language processing, sentiment analysis, term frequency analysis, TF-IDF, and thematic clustering with K-means were applied, supported by visualizations such as word clouds and cluster diagrams. The results show the existence of polarized narratives, both opposition and pro-government, as well as indications of orchestrated messages with potential manipulation objectives. This study confirms the hypothesis of the presence of disinformation dynamics in the Russian digital space, and also provides evidence on the usefulness of video platforms as an object of sociopolitical research. Finally, recommendations for future studies are proposed, highlighting the value of data science as a tool for critical analysis of political discourse in digital environments.
This Master's Thesis analyzes patterns of disinformation and political polarization in YouTube comments related to the war in Ukraine and the figure of Alexei Navalny. To do so, more than 20,000 comments were collected from ten videos selected for their media and political relevance between 2022 and 2025. Techniques of natural language processing, sentiment analysis, term frequency analysis, TF-IDF, and thematic clustering with K-means were applied, supported by visualizations such as word clouds and cluster diagrams. The results show the existence of polarized narratives, both opposition and pro-government, as well as indications of orchestrated messages with potential manipulation objectives. This study confirms the hypothesis of the presence of disinformation dynamics in the Russian digital space, and also provides evidence on the usefulness of video platforms as an object of sociopolitical research. Finally, recommendations for future studies are proposed, highlighting the value of data science as a tool for critical analysis of political discourse in digital environments.
Direction
BENITEZ BALEATO, JESUS MANUEL (Tutorships)
BENITEZ BALEATO, JESUS MANUEL (Tutorships)
Court
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
Proposed improvements for the management of Union European-funded projects in Galicia
Authorship
A.C.E.D.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
A.C.E.D.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
Defense date
02.17.2025 11:30
02.17.2025 11:30
Summary
The present report deals with aspects that would improve the management of projects with EU funding in Galicia. Initially, it explains theoretical issues that help to understand the integration processes that the European Union has undergone up to the present day and the process of regional representation in Brussels. Next, the work provides financial data extracted from the audit reports on European projects drawn up by the Concellos de Contas, to demonstrate the economic relevance of these funds at both the regional and local level. Subsequently, it is complemented with textual extracts from interviews with managers and beneficiaries of projects with European funding in Galicia, with the aim of identifying those issues which, in their experience, they consider should be improved based on some of the recommendations made by the Concello de Contas in the audit reports. A table is then created, consisting of a SWOT and CAME matrix, which, on the one hand, makes it possible to identify the issues to be improved obtained from the interviews and the audit reports and, on the other hand, to propose specific strategies and improvements to be developed. It concludes with the elaboration of a proposal of suggestions for improvement, in which concrete examples are given to implement in the future, based on the issues identified above, with the intention of improving and speeding up their development.
The present report deals with aspects that would improve the management of projects with EU funding in Galicia. Initially, it explains theoretical issues that help to understand the integration processes that the European Union has undergone up to the present day and the process of regional representation in Brussels. Next, the work provides financial data extracted from the audit reports on European projects drawn up by the Concellos de Contas, to demonstrate the economic relevance of these funds at both the regional and local level. Subsequently, it is complemented with textual extracts from interviews with managers and beneficiaries of projects with European funding in Galicia, with the aim of identifying those issues which, in their experience, they consider should be improved based on some of the recommendations made by the Concello de Contas in the audit reports. A table is then created, consisting of a SWOT and CAME matrix, which, on the one hand, makes it possible to identify the issues to be improved obtained from the interviews and the audit reports and, on the other hand, to propose specific strategies and improvements to be developed. It concludes with the elaboration of a proposal of suggestions for improvement, in which concrete examples are given to implement in the future, based on the issues identified above, with the intention of improving and speeding up their development.
Direction
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Tutorships)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Tutorships)
Court
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BENITEZ BALEATO, JESUS MANUEL (Secretary)
LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ, ALFONSO ANTONIO (Member)
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BENITEZ BALEATO, JESUS MANUEL (Secretary)
LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ, ALFONSO ANTONIO (Member)
Public opinion about gender policies: The case of Santiago de Compostela.
Authorship
A.F.G.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
A.F.G.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
Defense date
07.03.2025 10:30
07.03.2025 10:30
Summary
In a context in were equality policies are a fundamental pilar of well being, this research aims to analyze how citizens of Santiago de Compostela percive these policies. The study is based on a theorical framework that reviews the academic literature on the institucionalization of gender policies, with and emphasis on the case of Spain , the gender mainstreaming and Open Government principles in public policies desing. The methodological desing combines qualitative techniques, with analysis of secondary information on the municipal gender policies and an interview with a member of the municipal government, and quantitative techniques - conducting a survey of a sample of one hundrer peopleo in the Conxo Sociocultural Center. The results show that the level of knowledge and the assessment of public services changes depending on different variables such as gender or employment status, and also confirm that the opinions of citizens are of particular importance to the municipal government.
In a context in were equality policies are a fundamental pilar of well being, this research aims to analyze how citizens of Santiago de Compostela percive these policies. The study is based on a theorical framework that reviews the academic literature on the institucionalization of gender policies, with and emphasis on the case of Spain , the gender mainstreaming and Open Government principles in public policies desing. The methodological desing combines qualitative techniques, with analysis of secondary information on the municipal gender policies and an interview with a member of the municipal government, and quantitative techniques - conducting a survey of a sample of one hundrer peopleo in the Conxo Sociocultural Center. The results show that the level of knowledge and the assessment of public services changes depending on different variables such as gender or employment status, and also confirm that the opinions of citizens are of particular importance to the municipal government.
Direction
PALEO MOSQUERA, NATALIA (Tutorships)
PALEO MOSQUERA, NATALIA (Tutorships)
Court
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
Women's Information Centres in Galicia: Analysis of the current situation and proposals for the redesign of the service
Authorship
M.G.C.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
M.G.C.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
Defense date
07.03.2025 11:00
07.03.2025 11:00
Summary
In a context of growing involvement by local authorities in the development of public policies on equality, Women's Information Centres have played a central role in providing support to victims of gender-based violence, with a free multidisciplinary intervention model characterised by the proximity of the centres to the reality of the victims and the territory. In addition, the WICs have also played a role in promoting the prevention of this type of violence and raising public awareness of gender equality. In view of this, the main objective of this research project is to analyse the current situation of the Galician WICs in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current model and make proposals for improving the design and implementation of the service. To collect information, fieldwork was designed based on a questionnaire sent to all WICs in Galicia and interviews with centre staff and people with political responsibilities in the area of equality and prevention of gender-based violence.
In a context of growing involvement by local authorities in the development of public policies on equality, Women's Information Centres have played a central role in providing support to victims of gender-based violence, with a free multidisciplinary intervention model characterised by the proximity of the centres to the reality of the victims and the territory. In addition, the WICs have also played a role in promoting the prevention of this type of violence and raising public awareness of gender equality. In view of this, the main objective of this research project is to analyse the current situation of the Galician WICs in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current model and make proposals for improving the design and implementation of the service. To collect information, fieldwork was designed based on a questionnaire sent to all WICs in Galicia and interviews with centre staff and people with political responsibilities in the area of equality and prevention of gender-based violence.
Direction
BOUZAS LORENZO, RAMON ANGEL (Tutorships)
BOUZAS LORENZO, RAMON ANGEL (Tutorships)
Court
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
Spain's 2023 General Elections: Analysis of the Emotional Component in Pedro Sánchez’s Speeches
Authorship
F.L.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
F.L.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
Defense date
07.10.2025 11:00
07.10.2025 11:00
Summary
This study, titled “Spain’s 2023 General Elections: Analysis of the Emotional Component in Pedro Sánchez’s Speeches”, explores the role of emotional expression in shaping leadership perception and public opinion through five key campaign speeches. Using a methodological approach that combines Critical Discourse Analysis and qualitative content analysis, the research develops a classification system based on emotional polarity (positive and negative) to examine emotional guidance strategies and rhetorical structures across different stages of the campaign. Public responses are incorporated through social media comments and mainstream media coverage to assess how these emotional strategies are interpreted and echoed by the audience. The findings reveal that Sánchez employed repetition, metaphor, and collective appeals to activate positive emotions, while selectively introducing negative emotional cues as a form of alert, thus reinforcing emotional identification with his leadership. The study proposes an integrative analytical framework that connects political discourse with voters’ emotional and perceptual responses.
This study, titled “Spain’s 2023 General Elections: Analysis of the Emotional Component in Pedro Sánchez’s Speeches”, explores the role of emotional expression in shaping leadership perception and public opinion through five key campaign speeches. Using a methodological approach that combines Critical Discourse Analysis and qualitative content analysis, the research develops a classification system based on emotional polarity (positive and negative) to examine emotional guidance strategies and rhetorical structures across different stages of the campaign. Public responses are incorporated through social media comments and mainstream media coverage to assess how these emotional strategies are interpreted and echoed by the audience. The findings reveal that Sánchez employed repetition, metaphor, and collective appeals to activate positive emotions, while selectively introducing negative emotional cues as a form of alert, thus reinforcing emotional identification with his leadership. The study proposes an integrative analytical framework that connects political discourse with voters’ emotional and perceptual responses.
Direction
MANEIRO CRESPO, ELBA (Tutorships)
MANEIRO CRESPO, ELBA (Tutorships)
Court
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
CRACKS AND RECONSTRUCTION: A Study of the Paradigm Conflict in Political Communication between the Deglobalization of the European Right and the Globalization of China's Belt and Road Initiative
Authorship
M.L.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
M.L.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
Defense date
07.10.2025 11:00
07.10.2025 11:00
Summary
This study seeks to analyze in depth the conflicting paradigms of political communication between the European right anti-globalization and the Chinese Belt and Road globalization movement in the context of globalization. Using political rupture theory (Lipset and Rokkan, 1967) and frame theory (Goffman, 1974), through methodological pluralism (Maxwell, 2016), this study explores how both paradigms shape the vision of global order and reveals the key role of communication in managing ruptures. The study concluded that the European right tends to exploit social divisions. By activating traditional divisions, such as center-periphery and religious-secular, it transforms the contradictions of globalization into identity-based confrontations (such as the migration threat theory) and uses media mechanisms such as polarization frames and algorithmic echo chambers to stimulate identity-based, sovereignty-based, and distributive divisions, thereby promoting the anti-globalization agenda. China's Belt and Road Initiative takes as its central narrative a community of shared future for humanity, adopts strategies such as infrastructure, cultural empathy, and global governance, and reconstructs the history of development through the framework of connectivity and mutual learning among civilizations, weakening ideological confrontation and attempting to dissolve divisions. Based on this, this study proposes that the possibility of communicative redemption lies in building a mechanism for multi-issue dialogue, cultivating global communicative literacy, and innovating in the content and forms of communication to provide a peaceful and coexisting solution to conflicts between civilizations. This study not only enriches the theory of political communication, but also provides an important reference for the practice of international relations in the era of globalization.
This study seeks to analyze in depth the conflicting paradigms of political communication between the European right anti-globalization and the Chinese Belt and Road globalization movement in the context of globalization. Using political rupture theory (Lipset and Rokkan, 1967) and frame theory (Goffman, 1974), through methodological pluralism (Maxwell, 2016), this study explores how both paradigms shape the vision of global order and reveals the key role of communication in managing ruptures. The study concluded that the European right tends to exploit social divisions. By activating traditional divisions, such as center-periphery and religious-secular, it transforms the contradictions of globalization into identity-based confrontations (such as the migration threat theory) and uses media mechanisms such as polarization frames and algorithmic echo chambers to stimulate identity-based, sovereignty-based, and distributive divisions, thereby promoting the anti-globalization agenda. China's Belt and Road Initiative takes as its central narrative a community of shared future for humanity, adopts strategies such as infrastructure, cultural empathy, and global governance, and reconstructs the history of development through the framework of connectivity and mutual learning among civilizations, weakening ideological confrontation and attempting to dissolve divisions. Based on this, this study proposes that the possibility of communicative redemption lies in building a mechanism for multi-issue dialogue, cultivating global communicative literacy, and innovating in the content and forms of communication to provide a peaceful and coexisting solution to conflicts between civilizations. This study not only enriches the theory of political communication, but also provides an important reference for the practice of international relations in the era of globalization.
Direction
LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ, ALFONSO ANTONIO (Tutorships)
LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ, ALFONSO ANTONIO (Tutorships)
Court
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
Local welfare systems and aging policies in urban municipalities in Galicia
Authorship
I.L.A.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
I.L.A.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
Defense date
07.03.2025 11:30
07.03.2025 11:30
Summary
This Master's Thesis analyzes local aging policies in urban municipalities in Galicia through the lens of local welfare systems. The study is framed within the context of accelerated demographic aging in Galicia and focuses on the capacity of municipalities to respond, from a proximity-based approach, to the challenges posed by this phenomenon. The analysis is based on a sample of 15 urban municipalities, including the seven Galician cities and the most populous municipalities in each province. The methodological design combines sociodemographic analysis, a review of local public policies, and semi-structured interviews. The results reveal an uneven response among municipalities, but also highlight a wide range of implemented measures, both in the sociosanitary and sociocultural spheres. Overall, the study demonstrates a local commitment to aging-related issues, although challenges remain in terms of coordination and the integration of a gender perspective and the principles of the 2030 Agenda.
This Master's Thesis analyzes local aging policies in urban municipalities in Galicia through the lens of local welfare systems. The study is framed within the context of accelerated demographic aging in Galicia and focuses on the capacity of municipalities to respond, from a proximity-based approach, to the challenges posed by this phenomenon. The analysis is based on a sample of 15 urban municipalities, including the seven Galician cities and the most populous municipalities in each province. The methodological design combines sociodemographic analysis, a review of local public policies, and semi-structured interviews. The results reveal an uneven response among municipalities, but also highlight a wide range of implemented measures, both in the sociosanitary and sociocultural spheres. Overall, the study demonstrates a local commitment to aging-related issues, although challenges remain in terms of coordination and the integration of a gender perspective and the principles of the 2030 Agenda.
Direction
PALEO MOSQUERA, NATALIA (Tutorships)
CERNADAS RAMOS, ANDRES (Co-tutorships)
PALEO MOSQUERA, NATALIA (Tutorships)
CERNADAS RAMOS, ANDRES (Co-tutorships)
Court
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
The construction of closeness to the extreme right parties: how woke culture has impacted Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Authorship
D.T.F.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
D.T.F.
Master's Degree in Technologies in Marketing an Political Communication
Defense date
07.10.2025 11:00
07.10.2025 11:00
Summary
The rise of the extreme right in southern Europe has reshaped the parties systems of Spain, Portugal, and Italy. This research addresses how the reaction to the so-called woke culture has become a key factor in mobilizing the electorate. It comparatively analyzes the influence of attitudes on immigration, equality, climate change, or lgbti-phobia in the construction of closeness to parties such as Vox, Chega, Fratelli d'Italia, and the Lega, seeking to delimit the weight and specificities of this “cultural war” in each national context. To conduct this research, a quantitative methodological approach is applied, the results of which reflect the significant importance of woke variables in building this closeness.
The rise of the extreme right in southern Europe has reshaped the parties systems of Spain, Portugal, and Italy. This research addresses how the reaction to the so-called woke culture has become a key factor in mobilizing the electorate. It comparatively analyzes the influence of attitudes on immigration, equality, climate change, or lgbti-phobia in the construction of closeness to parties such as Vox, Chega, Fratelli d'Italia, and the Lega, seeking to delimit the weight and specificities of this “cultural war” in each national context. To conduct this research, a quantitative methodological approach is applied, the results of which reflect the significant importance of woke variables in building this closeness.
Direction
MO GROBA, DIEGO (Tutorships)
MO GROBA, DIEGO (Tutorships)
Court
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
LAGARES DIEZ, MARIA NIEVES (Chairman)
PEREIRA LOPEZ, MARIA (Secretary)
BASTOS BOUBETA, MIGUEL ANXO (Member)
The local police unit of Santiago de Compostela towards a new model of public service.
Authorship
M.E.V.E.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
M.E.V.E.
Master's Degree in Local Government and Innovative Public Policies
Defense date
07.03.2025 12:00
07.03.2025 12:00
Summary
The local police unit of Santiago de Compostela towards a new model of public service is an intervention project that propose the modernization of the Local Police through an approach based on proximity, innovation, and citizen cooperation. The project addresses the need to redefine the service model of the Local Police of Santiago de Compostela, takin into account the current challenges of a city with high urban, institutional, and social complexity. Through a critical analysis of the existing model and its fit within the local context, structural and operational limitations are identified that hinder an effective response to the demands of the public. The main objective is to formulate a proposal for organizational improvement that enables progress towards a community oriented, modern, technologically adapted, and people centred police force. To achieve this, proven tools for organizational change management are incorporated, with the aim of fostering a viable and sustainable transformation of the local police service.
The local police unit of Santiago de Compostela towards a new model of public service is an intervention project that propose the modernization of the Local Police through an approach based on proximity, innovation, and citizen cooperation. The project addresses the need to redefine the service model of the Local Police of Santiago de Compostela, takin into account the current challenges of a city with high urban, institutional, and social complexity. Through a critical analysis of the existing model and its fit within the local context, structural and operational limitations are identified that hinder an effective response to the demands of the public. The main objective is to formulate a proposal for organizational improvement that enables progress towards a community oriented, modern, technologically adapted, and people centred police force. To achieve this, proven tools for organizational change management are incorporated, with the aim of fostering a viable and sustainable transformation of the local police service.
Direction
BOUZAS LORENZO, RAMON ANGEL (Tutorships)
BOUZAS LORENZO, RAMON ANGEL (Tutorships)
Court
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)
ALONSO ALVAREZ, ALBA (Chairman)
BARRAL BUCETA, BRAN (Secretary)
FERREIRO SEOANE, FRANCISCO JESUS (Member)