Female Populist Leaders and Communication: Does Gender Make a Difference?

The chapter discusses the specific traits of the communication of female populist leaders. Drawing on the analysis of some prominent cases like Pia Kjærsgaard, Marine Le Pen and others, the chapter focuses on two questions: first, if populist women leaders present some common characteristics that can be assumed as the core of a ‘female populist image’; second, how women leaders deal with the communication strategies preferably employed by populists. In particular, the chapter discusses the implications for women politicians of the convergence between politics and popular culture.