Special Issue: Mapping the Discursive Opportunities for Radical-Right Populist Politics across Eastern Europe

Abstract

This special issue brings together scholars of media, sociology, and political science to examine the discursive opportunities for radical-right populist politics across Eastern Europe. The articles concentrate on such soft factors as the role of media, the radicalization of public discourse, and the communication repertoires of radical-right populist actors across the region. The contributions employ both established and innovative methodological approaches to examine favorable or disadvantageous discursive conditions for radical-right populist politics—including thematic social media analysis; framing analysis; qualitative content analysis; mixed-methods; and social network analysis. They map out these developments across the region, focusing on Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania, as well as Estonia and Slovenia.