«proudly populist». Populism 2.0: The case of Salvini

© 2019, Fundacion Sistema. All rights reserved. Populism has taken different forms throughout the history: the transformation of public spa­ce, caused by the diffusion of the Internet and the massive use of social networks, has forced populists to adapt to these new media, generating what we will define populism 2.0. This research aims, through a case study, at describing the specificities of the political language of this new populism and at revealing its communicative tools. The case chosen is Matteo Salvini, leader of the Lega party and current Minister of the Interior of Italy, who seems to perfectly embody this new phenomenon. The article concludes that populism 2.0 seems to be characterized by a classic populist discourse, conveyed and adapted to the needs of social networks, mixed with elements of personalization and politainment.