Publications
Beyond Anti-Elitism and Out-Group Attacks: How Concerns Shape the AfD’s Populist Representation on German TikTok During the 2024 European Elections
This study investigates the TikTok communication strategies of the German populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) during the 2024 European elections. Using LLM-enhanced topic modeling to analyze video transcriptions, we identified three primary discursive strategies: horizontal out-group attacks, vertical anti-elitism, and a focus on relatable public concerns (e.g., inflation and security). Our findings reveal that while divisive identity-based rhetoric generates high engagement, the AfD primarily focused on anti-elitist themes combined with everyday voter insecurities. By grounding its extremist agenda in these relatable issues, the AfD effectively obscured its radicalism and generated more engagement than all other German parties combined. These results highlight how right-wing populists exploit online platforms to dominate political discourse by balancing divisive messaging with strategic issue-resonance.
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