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This thesis investigates the paradox of perceived human insecurities in high-HDI nations despite improvements in well-being, linking this to the rise of populism in European politics. It examines Sinn Féin, a populist left-wing party in Ireland, focusing on security as a floating signifier in the party’s EU-Security discourse and its emotional expressions. Utilising poststructuralist Discourse Theory and Emotional Discourse Analysis and drawing on research about Populism, emotions and Ontological security, the study identifies four nodal pointssovereignty, justice, neutrality, and change- that stabilise Sinn Féin’s discourse while highlighting ambiguities in empty signifiers. The analysis shows that nodal points are reinforced by emotional expressions like pride and nostalgia for sovereignty, existential anxiety over neutrality, anger at injustice, and hope for change. Sinn Féin balances inclusive values such as multiculturalism and solidarity with exclusionary views on migration and sovereignty, challenging the binary categorisation of populism. By illustrating the fluidity of security and the role of emotions in populist rhetoric, the thesis broadens the understanding of populism as a discursive continuum, not merely an ideological dichotomy. The study highlights the interplay of inclusionary and exclusionary dynamics in populist identity construction. By broadening the conceptualisation of Populism, the thesis challenges dominant security interpretations and emphasises the need for further research into the emotional and ideological complexities of populist discourses, especially in left-wing contexts.