When Politics Becomes a Show: Silvija Vuković Defended Her Dissertation on Celebrity Populism and Leadership

On Wednesday, 25.6.2025, Silvija Vuković successfully defended her dissertation thesis titled “Celebrity Populism and Leadership: Analysing the Interplay of Celebrity Politics and Populism in Contemporary Political Communication” in the English-language program. 

Her dissertation explores the intersection of populism and celebrity politics, proposing that their combination forms a powerful communication formula, captured in a novel concept of celebrity populism (Grbeša and Šalaj, 2023; Vuković, 2022). The main research questions were: In what ways do the phenomena of celebrity politics and populism intersect and interact? How are populist messages amplified and constructed through communication styles typically associated with celebrity (politics)? How do citizens engage in the social construction of leadership within the framework of celebrity politics and populism?

The methodology, grounded in social constructionism, employs qualitative content analysis of case studies, primarily from Croatia, with one from Serbia, as well as an analysis of interviews conducted with Croatian citizens. These studies examine various types of celebrity populists and citizens’ construction of leadership in this context. The thesis demonstrates how celebrity style enhances populist ideas, providing an in-depth understanding of celebrity populism and leadership.

The defence was organised in the Voršilská building, in the Chapel room, with Silvija's friends and family present. The committee consisted of Nico Carpentier, doc., Ph.D., extraordinary professor at Charles University, doc. Vaia Doudaki, D.Phil., Ph.D., Anna Shavit, Mgr., Ph.D., Peter Mikuláš, prof. Mgr. et Mgr., Ph.D., and Prof. Paul Richard Baines.