I due volti del populismo olandese. Analisi linguistica e contenutistica dei discorsi di Geert Wilders e Thierry Baudet

This study aims to scrutinise the main sociological and linguistic aspects of Dutch populism. In the first part of this paper, we provide an overview of the circumstances that favoured the rise of this political phenomenon in the Netherlands, with a special focus on the murders of Theo Van Gogh and Pim Fortuyn. The second part focuses on the linguistic features and differences between the two spiritual heirs of Pim Fortuyn: Geert Wilders and Thierry Baudet. Drawing on the research by van Leeuwen (2015), the analysis shows that these two populist leaders have much in common in terms of the content of their speeches, but differ greatly in the rhetorical strategies adopted to persuade voters. Wilders uses an aggressive, old-fashioned style, whereas Baudet is more refined and cultured. These differences have had an enormous impact on their political success.