The online transnationalisation of populist radical right publics

Abstract

International cooperation between radical right populists has escalated over the last decade as parties and leaders worldwide increasingly establish formal and informal connections. Although studies have investigated the role of populist radical right parties (PRRPs) in transnationalisation processes, we know little about the transnationalisation of their online audiences, who are key to amplifying the circulation of PRR narratives across countries. This article therefore addresses the following research question: Which factors explain transnational online engagement with PRR communications? I argue that their digital publics play a role in constructing a transnational network for the PRR, facilitated by online spaces. I hypothesise that engagement varies according to party strategies, platform architectures, and linguistic and geographical factors. To investigate my research question, I analyse YouTube data from 2016 to 2024 of nine PRRPs in eight countries across three continents – the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. Using content and social network analysis, I find transnational engagement is on the rise, that it intensifies around public joint appearances of PRR actors from various countries, and is driven by language and content popularity. These results indicate that transnationalisation is not only catalysed by party elites but is shaped from below and by the architecture of digital platforms amidst a complex interplay of grassroots activity, algorithmic visibility, and party communications.