As the Covid-19 pandemic has taken place, the political narrative has inevitably been challenged by renewed appeals from populist leaders claiming a need for better governance by the governments in power. Therefore, the following exploratory research aims to study the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on political communication on social media within the new wave of populist politics in Italy and Portugal. Through a comparative analysis of Facebook posts of the leaders of both parties, respectively André Ventura and Matteo Salvini, our main aim is to understand how the Covid-19 issue has been used by these two populist leaders in their political propaganda. Through our discussion, it was possible to establish that the Covid-19 pandemic is playing a central role in the growing support of right-wing populism for both Italy and Portugal, where populist actors tend to share the same strategies and discourses, especially when framing specific groups, such as the Roma communities in both countries.
Covid-19 and a New Wave of Populism: A Comparative Analysis of the Populist Discourses of André Ventura and Matteo Salvini during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Cilento Cinzia
2021
Abstract
As the Covid-19 pandemic has taken place, the political narrative has inevitably been challenged by renewed appeals from populist leaders claiming a need for better governance by the governments in power. Therefore, the following exploratory research aims to study the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on political communication on social media within the new wave of populist politics in Italy and Portugal. Through a comparative analysis of Facebook posts of the leaders of both parties, respectively André Ventura and Matteo Salvini, our main aim is to understand how the Covid-19 issue has been used by these two populist leaders in their political propaganda. Through our discussion, it was possible to establish that the Covid-19 pandemic is playing a central role in the growing support of right-wing populism for both Italy and Portugal, where populist actors tend to share the same strategies and discourses, especially when framing specific groups, such as the Roma communities in both countries.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
