Théo Aiolfi
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theoaiolfi.bsky.social
Théo Aiolfi
@theoaiolfi.bsky.social
Junior Professor at Université Bourgogne Europe | Associate researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel | Convenor of @populismpsa.bsky.social | Populism; Style; Far-right; Identity

https://tinyurl.com/populiststyle
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My first book, The Populist Style, is finally out! 🎉✨

It is available in open access (direct link to the PDF: tinyurl.com/PopulistStyl...) and there is a 30% discount code (NEW30) for those who want to get a hardback copy (edin.ac/3WIe0Sr).

Here's a summary of the book's key arguments:

1/25
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
🎆 NEW OA ARTICLE ALERT 🎆

'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social

How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots | Review of International Studies | Cambridge Core
Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots
www.cambridge.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:22 AM
It was a genuine pleasure to host Claire in Dijon!

I feel very lucky to have the chance to meet so many talented colleagues whose research sheds a new light on research topics I thought I knew well.

Please check out her first open access if you are curious!

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
October 21, 2025 at 6:11 PM
What an honour! Thank you for the kind words Andreína Victoria Hernández Ross.

"Aiolfi’s interdisciplinary method, blending political theory, critical analysis and performance studies, offers a sophisticated framework, equipping scholars with tools to analyse populism’s performative dimensions."
October 10, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Last reminder 📢

Only three days left to submit your abstracts for our online symposium on the visual side of populism!

tinyurl.com/VisualPopuli...
Announcing the online symposium "Visualising populist identities", organised by @waxwards.bsky.social and @theoaiolfi.bsky.social on Dec 2-3, 2025, with keynotes by @mecasullo.bsky.social and @benmoffitt.bsky.social

Read the CfP here (tinyurl.com/VisualPopuli...) & submit your abstracts by July 31
July 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
Last chance to apply for our online symposium on Visual Populism. Deadline 31 July!

#cfp #populism #visual #mediastudies
Announcing the online symposium "Visualising populist identities", organised by @waxwards.bsky.social and @theoaiolfi.bsky.social on Dec 2-3, 2025, with keynotes by @mecasullo.bsky.social and @benmoffitt.bsky.social

Read the CfP here (tinyurl.com/VisualPopuli...) & submit your abstracts by July 31
July 25, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
Thrilled to share this (apparently controversial) piece with @theoaiolfi.bsky.social digging into how the French left imagines “the people.”

From LFI’s shifting tactics to Ruffin–Mélenchon frictions, creolisation, and the stakes of radical democracy — we go there!
📢 New article with @bolandeira.bsky.social in JCES!

Can left populism embrace anti-racism & queer politics - or must it stick to patriotism to reach “the people”?

We reply to Rojas-Andrés, Mazzolini & Custodi with a French case: the Mélenchon–Ruffin split.👇

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
June 30, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Kind reminder about the deadline at the end of July to submit abstracts for the online symposium "Visualising populist identities" on December 2nd and 3rd!

Call for Paper here: tinyurl.com/VisualPopuli...

Abstract submission there: tinyurl.com/VisualisingP...
Announcing the online symposium "Visualising populist identities", organised by @waxwards.bsky.social and @theoaiolfi.bsky.social on Dec 2-3, 2025, with keynotes by @mecasullo.bsky.social and @benmoffitt.bsky.social

Read the CfP here (tinyurl.com/VisualPopuli...) & submit your abstracts by July 31
July 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM
📢 New article with @bolandeira.bsky.social in JCES!

Can left populism embrace anti-racism & queer politics - or must it stick to patriotism to reach “the people”?

We reply to Rojas-Andrés, Mazzolini & Custodi with a French case: the Mélenchon–Ruffin split.👇

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
June 18, 2025 at 9:54 AM
My physical copy of The Routledge Handbook of Populism and Foreign Policy just arrived at home. What an impressive collective work!

I am very honoured to have contributed the theoretical chapter on the stylistic approach to populism.
June 13, 2025 at 11:14 AM
After it took more than two years to get our first collaborative article published, it feels surreal that our second one got accepted in the same year!

This couldn't have happened without the talented prose and professionalism of @bolandeira.bsky.social.

I cannot wait for this one to be out!
Nothing better than wrapping up the day with good news: another article co-authored with the brilliant @theoaiolfi.bsky.social has just been accepted for publication! That’s our second in 2025 — and this one is bound to stir some debate. More soon!
June 9, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
Nothing better than wrapping up the day with good news: another article co-authored with the brilliant @theoaiolfi.bsky.social has just been accepted for publication! That’s our second in 2025 — and this one is bound to stir some debate. More soon!
June 9, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
📣Applications for the second Reactionary Politics Summer School are open📣

The summer school provides a space to develop key skills for the research of reactionary politics. It will be hosted hybrid and attendance is free. Bursaries are also available. Sign up below!

reacpol.net/summer-schoo...
Summer School - Reactionary Politics Research Network
reacpol.net
June 4, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Calling all my colleagues working on the visuality of populism, this is going to be an exciting event which I am proud to co-organise with @waxwards.bsky.social.

The event will be free and online, and we cannot wait to read your abstracts by the 31st of July: tinyurl.com/VisualisingP...
Announcing the online symposium "Visualising populist identities", organised by @waxwards.bsky.social and @theoaiolfi.bsky.social on Dec 2-3, 2025, with keynotes by @mecasullo.bsky.social and @benmoffitt.bsky.social

Read the CfP here (tinyurl.com/VisualPopuli...) & submit your abstracts by July 31
May 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
Announcing the online symposium "Visualising populist identities", organised by @waxwards.bsky.social and @theoaiolfi.bsky.social on Dec 2-3, 2025, with keynotes by @mecasullo.bsky.social and @benmoffitt.bsky.social

Read the CfP here (tinyurl.com/VisualPopuli...) & submit your abstracts by July 31
May 22, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
I'm gripped by the ever-increasing bling in Trump’s Oval Office. What does it mean? Yes, Trump has bad taste. But also something else. Here’s an art historical view. 🧵
1/
April 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
Au RN, le travail sur les idées tourne toujours au ralenti

Deux ans après son lancement en grande pompe, l’école théorique du Rassemblement national demeure une coquille vide.

@youmnikezzouf.bsky.social @mediapart.fr
www.mediapart.fr/journal/poli...
Au RN, le travail sur les idées tourne toujours au ralenti
Deux ans après son lancement en grande pompe, l’école théorique du Rassemblement national demeure une coquille vide. Depuis vingt-cinq ans, le parti d’extrême droite a délaissé, par paresse ou désint…
www.mediapart.fr
April 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
Our final #PSA25 panel—held in partnership with Italian Politics SG—wraps up with a sharp discussion on populism and economic elites. Chaired by Vladimir Borden, with papers by Adam Dinsmore, @lauramontecchio.bsky.social, @alexyates2000.bsky.social, Reid Kleinberg & Lorenzo Ghiduci.
April 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
The seventh #PSA25 panel on populism explored its histories and theories in the Global South, with rich contributions from Felipe Linden, Joanildo Burity, @kamilbernaerts.bsky.social, and Robert Upton.
April 17, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
Day three of #PSA25 opens with a timely and thought-provoking panel: What we talk about when we talk about populism, with insights from @k8ebrown.bsky.social, Eduardo Barbabela, and Riku Kusumoto. Chaired by @theoaiolfi.bsky.social
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April 16, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
We’ve won a prize! So happy to see years of hard work and dedication recognised. Huge congratulations to all past and present convenors—this one’s for all of us!
What a way to end #PSA25: Populism SG won Specialist Group of the Year! Huge shoutout to all our amazing convenors, past & present. @bolandeira.bsky.social & @theoaiolfi.bsky.social accepted the award—cheers to @giorgosvenizelos.bsky.social, Juan Roch, Laura Chazel & @janagoyvaerts.bsky.social!
April 17, 2025 at 8:47 AM
It truly was an honour to receive this award on behalf of our beloved specialist group, which has always been a unique place in academia for me.

We are proud that our efforts at fostering this community for critical scholars on populism are recognised & we owe it all to the fidelity of our members!
What a way to end #PSA25: Populism SG won Specialist Group of the Year! Huge shoutout to all our amazing convenors, past & present. @bolandeira.bsky.social & @theoaiolfi.bsky.social accepted the award—cheers to @giorgosvenizelos.bsky.social, Juan Roch, Laura Chazel & @janagoyvaerts.bsky.social!
April 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
We are very pleased to welcome the Reactionary Politics Specialist Group as a new sister group in the PSA. We look forward to collaborating on these vital and complementary areas of political research in the years ahead.
We're delighted to launch the Reactionary Politics Specialist Group of the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social at #PSA25. Keep your eyes on our feed for updates on all of our upcoming activities.
April 16, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
We're delighted to launch the Reactionary Politics Specialist Group of the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social at #PSA25. Keep your eyes on our feed for updates on all of our upcoming activities.
April 16, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
We closed the second day at #PSA25 with a fantastic panel co-organized with @journalpolitics.bsky.social on populism and gender minorities - featuring compelling talks by Sergiu Gherghina, @archibaldgustin.bsky.social, Victoria Scheyer, Marianna Griffini, & @tadeovazquez.bsky.social!
April 16, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Théo Aiolfi
The second day of #PSA25 kicked off with another powerful panel on dislocation and its epistemics! Insightful exchanges with Olivier Ouzilou, @dbonansinga.bsky.social & @dralbertazziuk.bsky.social, @rokuppers.bsky.social, @michaelangeloanast.bsky.social and Andy Knott—deep theory, sharp debates!
April 15, 2025 at 3:57 PM