Telegram as a multifaceted platform for antagonistic political passion: The Finnish alternative groups under the scope

Abstract In this article, we examine Finnish alternative actors using Telegram within the right-wing and anti-systemic frameworks. We draw on Chantal Mouffe’s concept of political passion to argue that it offers a useful lens for explaining the underlying dynamics among these actors. Using Finnish Telegram groups as an approximated example, we conducted a network analysis to map the landscape, identifying four distinct clusters of actors. We also qualitatively analysed how different modes of political engagement manifest among these antagonistic groups through their selection of topics and rhetoric. Our results reveal how alternative voices can rapidly shift from general critique to extreme viewpoints, driven by far-right ideology and amplified through anti-democratic Russian propaganda.