In between the Pandemic and Populism: A look into the 2021 female presidential candidates in Portugal

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the form and substance of the official campaign for the 2021 Portuguese presidential elections. It called for several adjustments to planned campaign actions, constraining candidates' mobility and popular mobilization. This context favored the fermentation of populist discourses and the radicalization of political debate. These circumstances led to an unprecedented electoral contest in the recent history of democracy in Portugal. One of the least explored topics in studies about populism is gender and the place of women in the globalized society. In this context, this paper examines the media coverage of the 2021 Portuguese presidential elections in television news services of the following channels RTP1, SIC, TVI and CMTV. This analysis covered the period of the official campaign and focused on the two female candidates, Ana Gomes and Marisa Matias. © 2022 Associacao Portuguesa de Estudos sobre as Mulheres. All rights reserved.