Studies of social movements underscore the centrality of linguistic frames and
framing in political communication. Similarly, research on populism attributes
great significance to mapping the distinctive discursive logic of populist
reasoning (e.g., the trope of pitting corrupt elites against the people). My
presentation aims to move beyond the focus on discursive practices to stress
the role of symbols, objects and new media in the political communication of
populist ideas, using Hungary as a case study. First, I show how key historical
symbols (e.g., the cockade of the 1848 revolution or the Holy Crown of St.
Stephen) that used to be widely shared across the political and social spectrum
have been increasingly appropriated by the populist right. Second, I examine
how consumer objects, which are key props of a radical nationalist subculture,
create important material conduits for political communication. Finally, I highlight
how the populist right has used new media to create an alternative public
sphere beyond the confines of mainstream media. I suggest that the failure, and
outright rejection, of the left and liberals to engage in symbolic communication
has enabled right-wing populists to progressively monopolize definitions of
cultural membership in the nation.