Daniele Albertazzi and Donatella Bonansinga to Present on the Populist Radical Right’s Use of TikTok

Populism in Action’s Principal Investigator Prof. Daniele Albertazzi and the project’s former Research Assistant Donatella Bonansinga are due to present their research project on the populist radical right’s use of the TikTok social media platform at the 7th Prague Populism Conference.

The 7th Prague Populism Conference is taking place at Goethe Institute, Prague on the 16th and 17th May 2022 (for full details see the event’s Facebook page).

Confirmed speakers include: Hans-Georg Betz (University of Zurich), Donatella Della Porta (Scuola Normale Superiore), Andrea Petö (Central European University), Emilia Palonen (University of Helsinki) and Daniele Albertazzi (University of Surrey.

The abstract of Prof. Albertazzi and Ms. Bonansinga’s paper is:

Happy-Go-Lucky or Dancing with Wolves? The Populist Radical Right on TikTok Today.

TikTok, a prominently visual platform with a considerably young audience, has grown exponentially during the pandemic, and so has its political content. Launched in 2016, the app has now over one billion monthly users, and is increasingly deployed by political actors aiming to reach the next generation of voters before their political views are fully formed. Characterised by a combination of populism, nativism and authoritarianism, the populist radical right (PRR) has pioneered novel forms of communication through TikTok. However, to date there is no available academic analysis of the kind of content PRR actors disseminate via the platform.

Focusing on populist communication addressing issues that have been at the forefront of public debates in recent years, such as the pandemic and climate change, this paper identifies examples of visual de-demonisation by PRR leaders and parties, as they forge a likeable image for younger audiences that can counteract the negative portrayal they usually get in the mainstream media. It finds that – contrary to widespread assumptions linking radical communication with toxic rhetoric and the spreading of fear – positive and optimistic appeals play a significant role in how PRR actors adjust their communication to the needs of the medium. Conceptualised as a form of eudaimonic entertainment, positive appeals include inspirational cues that foster hope, communicate values and virtues, and underline the beauty of authenticity.

In this study, our expectation is that longstanding PRR parties will be more likely than new PRR challengers to adopt eudaimonic content, as they have a strategic interest in de-demonising their image to counteract years of negative coverage. To test this argument, we use a novel theoretical framework that captures visual de-demonisation and eudaimonic appeals, applying it to a combination of established and novel radical right parties and leaders, such as Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini on the one hand, and Eric Zemmour and Vox Spain on the other. While the former actors may be more established, the latter, albeit only recently emerged, have already managed to substantially affect political debates in their countries and are now seen as emerging forces to be reckoned with by their competitors.

The article will be the first to document the PRR use of TikTok, contributing to the literature analysing how their message develops and their communication strategies and electorates diversify.

Video Recording of “Right-Wing Populist Party Organisations in Europe: Of and For the People?”

On Tuesday 18th January 2022, the COGITATIO Press hosted an online webinar exploring the main findings of the issue “Right-Wing Populist Party Organisation Across Europe: The Survival of the Mass-Party?”, published in their open access journal Politics and Governance.

Speakers:
Stijn van Kessel (Queen Mary University of London, UK)
Judith Sijstermans (University of Birmingham, UK)
Niko Hatakka (University of Birmingham, UK)

Discussant:
Paul Taggart (University of Sussex, UK)

The event was recorded and can now be watched here on Youtube.

Webinar: Right-Wing Populist Party Organisations in Europe: Of and For the People?

This free to attend webinar will analyse the main findings of the issue “Right-Wing Populist Party Organisation Across Europe: The Survival of the Mass-Party?”, published in the open access journal Politics and Governance.

Speakers:
Stijn van Kessel (Queen Mary University of London, UK)
Judith Sijstermans (University of Birmingham, UK)
Niko Hatakka (University of Birmingham, UK)

Discussant:
Paul Taggart (University of Sussex, UK)

Register here

If you do not receive a confirmation email with the link to access the event after the registration please contact communication@cogitatiopress.com

Event organised by the Politics and Governance journal.

Watch Daniele Albertazzi and Davide Vampa Present Their Book “Populism in Europe: Lessons from Umberto Bossi’s Northern League”

On 20th October 2021 Populism in Action’s Principal Investigator Prof. Daniele Albertazzi (University of Surrey) and Dr. Davide Vampa (Aston University) presented their new book Populism in Europe: Lessons from Umberto Bossi’s Northern League (Manchester University Press, 2021).

This launch event was held online and hosted between the Centre for Britain and Europe at the University of Surrey, Aston University and the Populism in Action Project.

Watch the presentation here. 

Populism in Action Research Presented at the WZB Berlin Social Science Centre

Dr. Stijn van Kessel, Populism in Action’s Queen Mary University of London based Co-Investigator, gave an online presentation at the WZB Berlin Social Science Centre on the 8th November 2021.

Speaking as part of the Centre’s Transformations of Democracy (TD) Unit seminar series, his presentation covered some of the key findings from the Thematic Issue ‘Right-Wing Populist Party Organisation across Europe: The Survival of the Mass-Party?’, which is due to come out with Politics and Governance in November 2021.

Populism in Europe – The League Yesterday and Today (Virtual Event 20/10/21)

Join us on Wednesday 20th of October 2021 at 16:00 (UK time) for a virtual seminar considering and responding to the newly published Populism in Europe – The Lesson’s from Umberto Bossi’s Northern League, by Prof. Daniele Albertazzi (Surrey) and Dr. Davide Vampa (Aston).

Abstract

One of the oldest right-wing populist parties in Western Europe, and one that has accumulated considerable experience in government at both national and subnational levels, the League – previously Northern League – has much to teach us (and other parties) about how populists can achieve rootedness and success. In this roundtable chaired by Amelia Hadfield (University of Surrey), we will interrogate the reasons behind the party’s resilience, the importance of grassroots organisation, and the involvement of party members in its activities. The recently published book Populism in Europe – Lesson’s from Umberto Bossi’s Northern League co-authored by Daniele Albertazzi (University of Surrey) and Davide Vampa (Aston University) will provide a starting point for a discussion with Arianna Giovannini (De Montfort University) and the audience about the party’s origins and institutionalisation under the leadership of its founder. The book, based on a systematic analysis of a large amount of original quantitative and qualitative data, stresses the importance of the Northern League’s consistent and coherent ideology, its strong organisation and its ability to create communities of loyal partisan activists. The fact that today’s League has achieved unprecedented electoral success under the new leadership of Matteo Salvini cannot be fully understood and explained without investigating its past. Notwithstanding his transformative role within the party, Salvini can be regarded as Bossi’s heir in political terms. Hence the findings of the book will be linked to the work by Mattia Zulianello (University of Trieste) on “the League of Matteo Salvini”, which shows how recent ideological and organisational transformations are not devoid of contradictions and are still influenced by (and in tension with) Bossi’s legacy.

Panelists

  • Chair, Prof. Amelia Hadfield (University of Surrey)
  • Prof. Daniele Albertazzi (University of Surrey)
  • Dr. Davide Vampa (Aston University)
  • Dr. Mattia Zulianello (University of Trieste)
  • Discussant, Dr.  Arianna Giovannini (DeMontfort University)

More details and registration form here

“Right-Wing Populist Party Organisation across Europe: The Survival of the Mass-Party?” PiAP at ECPR 2021

At this year’s European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference (taking place online, 30th August-3rd September 2021) the Populism in Action Team will be leading and participating in a panel entitled Right-Wing Populist Party Organisation across Europe: The Survival of the Mass-Party? which will present key research findings from the project. The panel will be chaired by PiAP’s Dr. Judith Sijstermans (University of Birmingham), Co-Chaired by PiAP’s Dr. Stijn van Kessel (Queen Mary, University of London), with Prof. Sarah De Lange (University of Amsterdam) as the Discussant. 

Panel Abstract

This panel analyses the nature of populist radical right party (PRRP) organisations and the relationship between PRRP organisations, leaders, and party members. We present initial results of our comparative research project which studies long-established PRRP parties in Western Europe: the League in Italy, the Flemish Interest in Belgium, the Swiss People’s Party, and the Finns. PRRPs are often still associated with centralised and ‘charismatic’ leadership, but we find that several PRRPs have invested in creating organisations more similar to the ‘mass party’ model, in which parties actively recruit members and create communities of loyal partisan activists.

In our four case study papers, we explore how party elites attempt to foster involvement, activism and loyalty from the party base. We analyse how these efforts are managed within each party’s, often highly centralised, organisational structures. Through these in-depth case studies, our papers also reflect on the nature and development of the mass party model in the current era. Our panel will conclude with a comparative analysis of all four cases. This analysis explores the extent to which personalisation and centralisation have helped to manage organisational tensions in PRRPs and to facilitate changes in leadership. It will also reflect on the importance of these organisational structures and dynamics for populist parties today.

Panelists 

1. Dr. Mattia Zulianello (University of Birmingham) – Fostering and Exporting a Modern Mass Party: Agency and Structure in Salvini’s League

2. Dr. Niko Hatakka (University of Birmingham) – Between horizontality and centralization: Organizational form and practice in the Finns Party

3. Adrian Favero (University of Birmingham) – Rootedness, Activism and Centralisation: The Case of the Swiss People’s Party

4. Judith Sijstermans (University of Birmingham) – The Vlaams Belang: A Mass Party of the 21st century

5. Stijn van Kessel (Queen Mary University of London; presenting), Daniele Albertazzi (University of Birmingham) – The Survival of the Mass Party: Centralisation, Rootedness and Control Among Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) in Europe

Programme details: A programme for this year’s ECPR General Conference will be released presently. It will be available via the Consortium’s website – where registration has already opened.

Listen to New Patterns of Political Competition in W. Europe: Populists vs. Populists

On the 24th February 2021 the Populism in Action Project convened a virtual seminar to discuss the book Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe published in Routledge’s Extremism & Democracy series and edited by Dr. Daniele Albertazzi (Populism in Action’s Principal Investigator) and Dr. Davide Vampa.

A recording was made which can be heard here:

Listen here

The seminar explores how, and to what effect, populist parties of both the left and the right compete within the same political system. It presents the overall typology of populist party competition used in “Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe” and focus on the Greek, Flemish and British cases.

Chair: Dr. Daniele Albertazzi (University of Birmingham)

Discussion included the following participants:

Donatella Bonansinga (University of Birmingham)
Dr. Emmanouil Tsatsanis (EKKE)
Dr. Judith Sijstermans (University of Birmingham)
Dr. Davide Vampa (Aston University)

Populism in Action at the PSA International Conference 2021

This week all of the Populism in Action Project’s Research Team will be taking part in the 2021 Political Studies Association (PSA) Annual International Conference. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency this year’s conference is taking place online but it is virtually hosted by Queen’s University Belfast.

Populism in Action’s research will be presented at two panels, one taking place on the 30th March (15:30-17:00) and one taking place on 31st March (09:00-10:30).

Panel 824: “The Survival of the Mass Party? Discussing Party Organisation among Populist Radical Right Parties (Prrps) in Europe”

15:30-17:00, 30th March 2021

This panel is dedicated to the Populism in Action Project’s ESRC- funded research and will be chaired by our principal investigator, Daniele Albertazzi while the discussant will be Antonella Seddone. The four research fellows Adrian Favero, Niko Hatakka, Judith Sijstermans and Mattia Zulianello, will present the findings of Phases 1 and 2 of their research.

They will discuss how the League, Flemish Interest, Swiss People’s party and Finns party are organised, with a particular focus on power relations within them.

Panel 923: Why Do Populists Succeed? Government Experiences, Discursive Strategies and Party Organisation

09:00-10:30, 31st March 2021

In this panel Populism in Action’s Principal Investigator Daniele Albertazzi and Co-Investigator Stijn van Kessel, will present some of the project’s research findings.

Their paper is entitled: “Why Do Populists Succeed?: The Survival of the Mass Party: Centralisation, Rootedness and Control Among Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) in Europe”

Drawing on Populism in Action’s comparative research, this presentation maps the formal and informal organisational structures of the League, the Flemish Interest, the Finns Party, and the Swiss People’s Party. It compares these parties’ institutional structures, and degrees of centralisation.

Daniele Albertazzi to be Keynote Speaker at the 6th Prague Populism Conference

Dr. Daniele Albertazzi – Populism in Action’s Principal Investigator – will be keynote speaker at the 6th Prague Populism Conference (17th-19th May 2021).

His keynote will draw upon research undertaken as part of the Populism in Action Project to consider the role of personalisation and centralisation amongst European populist radical right parties. He will discuss the extent to which party elites have reinforced their power through formal organisational structures and informal influence.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic this year’s conference will take place online. However, the event (organised annually since 2014 by Charles University in Prague) has rapidly established itself as a key forum for communicating research into the populist political phenomenon. The central topic that this year’s event will be exploring is Current populism in Europe: What has changed since the start of the pandemic?

In addition to Dr. Albertazzi keynote speakers include Prof. Nonna Mayer of Sciences Po.