Populism has become one of the key phenomena of contemporary political communication across European democracies. Communication strategies play a significant role in the success of populist actors, and the crucial influence of social media on this process cannot be ignored. Social networks allow politicians to connect more directly with voters and provide a space for personalized and emotionally attuned communication. This article analyses the populist political communication of Andrej Babiš (ANO 2011) during the 2023 Czech presidential election campaign, with particular attention to differences between his outdoor billboard campaign and his online communication on Twitter (X). The study aims to identify which elements of populist rhetoric were employed in these environments and how they evolved between the first and second rounds of the election. The study uses quantitative content analysis, focusing on key aspects of populist communication such as defining oneself against elites, emphasizing the people as a homogeneous group, and mobilizing through emotional appeals. The findings reveal a distinct platform asymmetry: while the outdoor campaign relied heavily on emotionally charged and fear-based appeals—especially in the second round—Twitter communication was more restrained, serving primarily as a channel for personalization and reference to external content. The study highlights the role of media platforms in shaping populist communication strategies within the Czech political context.
Charvátová et al. (Thu,) studied this question.