Moralism without populism? The salience of corruption in the electoral manifestos and legislature speeches of Czech and Slovak parties

Abstract Corruption remains a significant political issue in Central Europe. This article examines its salience in political discourse in Czechia and Slovakia, where recent anti-corruption campaigns have seen considerable success. Utilizing data from the Comparative Manifesto Project, ParlSpeech, and Slovak Parliamentary TV, the study finds that an oppositional stance is the primary predictor for frequent mentions of corruption rather than the anticipated role of populism. Populist parties then emphasize the issue more in parliamentary speeches than in their campaign promotions, though some specific nuances among different populist subtypes.