From Emotion to Virality: The Use of Social Media in the Populism of Chega and VOX

Ricardo Domínguez-García (), João Pedro Baptista, Concha Pérez-Curiel and Daniela Esperança Monteiro da Fonseca
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Ricardo Domínguez-García: Faculty of Communication, University of Seville, 41004 Sevilla, Spain
João Pedro Baptista: Department of Letters, Arts and Communication, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000 Vila Real, Portugal
Concha Pérez-Curiel: Faculty of Communication, University of Seville, 41004 Sevilla, Spain
Daniela Esperança Monteiro da Fonseca: Department of Letters, Arts and Communication, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000 Vila Real, Portugal

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: This study analyses the digital communication strategies of the radical right parties VOX (Spain) and Chega (Portugal) on the social media platforms X, Instagram, and TikTok during the electoral periods. Using a comparative content analysis with quantitative and qualitative approaches, the research reveals that both parties employ a populist discourse marked by confrontation with the political elite and the use of emotional appeals to mobilize their followers. VOX directs its attacks at the left and the Spanish Prime Minister, while Chega emphasizes criticism of the political system as a whole. The results show that polarization and the evocation of emotions such as indignation, pride, and hope are central strategies in their posts. Furthermore, messages with strong emotional charge and audiovisual elements generate a greater impact, especially on TikTok and Instagram, where virality is significantly higher than on X. The study concludes that the communication strategies of these parties are based on ‘data populism’, where interaction and visibility on social media reinforce their political narratives and consolidate their base of support.

Keywords: political communication; digital populism; social media; radical right politics; virality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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