From Reel to Reality: Zelenskyy, Populism, and the Fantasy of the Plebeian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine with no political experience beyond playing a president on television. Yet Zelenskyy was not elected despite this inexperience, but because of it. Zelenskyy’s campaign promised to bring into reality the populist fantasy portrayed on his show, on which an “average Joe” suddenly becomes president—what I call “the fantasy of the plebeian president.” This article investigates the fantasy of the plebeian president to identify its theoretical significance and practical consequences. Analyzing populism through this fantasy illuminates core populist commitments about power, virtue, and knowledge. This fantasy sustains populist movements by asserting that morality and power will coincide through the elevation of one of the honest and innocent people to leadership. The fantasy of the plebeian president clarifies theoretical and empirical investigation into populism, opens new vistas for scholars of political communication and campaigns, and presents a novel attempt at the legitimation of power in modern democracies.