The Power of Performance: Celebrity Populism, Fictional Populists, and Implications for Liberal Democracy
Abstract
Relying on the innovative concept of celebrity populism, the chapter explores the cases of two parody candidates from Croatia and Serbia who assumed imaginary identities to run in elections. Enio Meštrović, aka Ričard, and Luka Maksimović, aka Ljubiša Preletačević-Beli, employed a strong anti-establishment stance, using satire and wit to voice their critique of the national political elites.
Their campaign strategies, based on provocative performances and self-scandalization, garnered substantial media attention, which ultimately translated into tangible voter support. The chapter argues that Ričard's and Beli's controversial political success attests to the power of self-scandalization and celebrity-populist mix in contemporary politics.
The chapter discusses implications that the rise of celebrity populists and parody candidates, such as Ričard and Beli, may have for liberal democracy. It concludes that the engaging power of celebrity politics, coupled with populist homogenization of the people, may energize voters, and encourage political engagement.
On the other hand, celebrity populists, like other populists, call for disruption of norms, which may undermine standards of civility and democracy. Additionally, celebrity populists have a propensity to oversimplify and trivialize substantive political issues, frequently reducing politics to mere theatrical displays, deprived of adequate political competencies and void of any real political substance.