TY  - JOUR
AU  - Bayarri Toscano, Gabriel
AU  - Fernández-Villa, Concepción
JF  - Javnost-The Public
TI  - Violence Hate Speech and Polarisation in Far-Right Political Influencers in Spain
VL  - 32
IS  - 1
PY  - 2025
SN  - 1854-8377
PB  - EURICOM
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2025.2469032
N2  - This article examines how far-right political influencers in Spain utilise hate speech and divisive rhetoric on social media to foster violence and intensify political polarisation. Focusing on six Vox politicians and the official Vox party accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram during Madrid’s regional elections, the study analyses their strategies for framing opponents and various social groups through dehumanisation, metaphorical language, and visual imagery. By combining discourse analysis and grounded theory, the research identifies mechanisms used to legitimise hostility while increasing personal and political visibility. The findings reveal that, although the levels of violence in these influencers’ discourse are less overt than in closed or anonymous channels, their rhetoric still contributes to a performative polarisation that deepens social divisions and undermines democratic discourse. This study sheds light on the role of political influencers in amplifying and normalising far-right ideologies and underscores the importance of understanding how digital platforms facilitate the spread of hate speech and political extremism.
U1  - Print ISSN: 1318-3222
ER  -