Abstract:  Social media play an important role in how populist radical right (PRR) leaders communicate with supporters and present themselves to the public. Previous research has examined how political leaders’ self-presentation varies by gender and by platform, but we know less about how these two factors interact. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 900 images posted on the Instagram, Facebook, and X accounts of six prominent European PRR leaders (three women and three men). The results show that gender mattered, but its role in visual self-presentation varied by platform. On Facebook and X, female leaders appeared in substantially more images than male leaders, compared to Instagram. Female leaders also use agentic cues more frequently, which emphasize competence and leadership, rather than communal cues, which emphasize warmth and relationships. These gender differences in self-presentation are smaller on Instagram, where personalized communication is common among all leaders. Overall, the findings imply that how PRR leaders present themselves is shaped not only by gender and platform but also by the distinctive communication styles of individual leaders.

Keywords:  gender; populist radical right; self-presentation; social media platforms

Published:   30 September 2026

Issue:   Vol 14 (2026): From the Far-Right to the Far-Left: Women Populist Leaders in Comparative Perspective (In Progress)