Who Wins the Engagement Race?: Examining Normalisation and Equalisation Theories Across 12 Ibero-American Countries

This chapter examines the use of populist communication styles on Facebook by political actors across 10 countries in Europe and South America. It explores the prevalence of people-centrism, anti-elitism, and exclusion of out-groups in political messaging during recent elections. Through a standardized content analysis, the study reveals that populist communication is not exclusive to actors traditionally labeled as populist. The findings suggest that non-populist actors also employ these styles, challenging conventional classifications of political actors. The chapter highlights significant cross-national variations, and discusses the implications of these findings for understanding populism as a communication style and calls for a reassessment of how political actors are labeled. By providing a comparative perspective, the chapter contributes to the broader discourse on populism and political communication, offering insights into the strategic use of populist rhetoric in diverse political contexts.