Communication and populist identity in the new spanish politics: the case of Unidas Podemos and Vox in the general elections of April and November 2019

Abstract

Unidas Podemos and Vox have disrupted the balance of power in the Spanish Parliament. However, there is still no consensus on how to classify both parties and whether it is correct to attribute to them the emerging concept of ‘populism’. This research, through a methodological triangulation composed of content analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, and in-depth
interviews, compares the communication and identity of these formations during the April and November 2019 elections. It shows that they are two populist projects more similar than one might initially think, and it also studies the treatment they received from the main newspapers, based on the fulfillment of the factors proposed by Entman to develop a frame. Thus, we obtain a double comparison, both between the two elections and between the two parties. At the same time, the strategies of the latter in constructing
their frames, in response to the scarce and critical coverage offered by traditional media, are reflected.