IOHANNIS AND PONTA: THE WINNER AND THE LOSER. A NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION APPROACH TO THE 2014 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN ROMANIA
IOHANNIS AND PONTA: THE WINNER AND THE LOSER. A NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION APPROACH TO THE 2014 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN ROMANIA

Summary/Abstract: The presidential elections constitute a ‘battle field’ in which candidates try to pull their opponents to pieces both verbally and nonverbally. In this paper the focus will be on the nonverbal means employed by Victor Ponta and his opponent, Klaus Iohannis in their presidential campaign, the aim being that of highlighting the nonverbal behaviours that led to the electoral loss of the former and success of the latter. The reason behind the choice of this topic is Goffman’s (1959) idea that the nonverbal dimension of a candidate’s style has a pre-eminent role, as the nonverbal elements of people’s behaviour cannot be controlled very easily, and can also influence the evaluation of someone’s credibility. The data-base employed for the analysis comprises the live televised debates between the two mentioned candidates, as well as photos published in the press. The investigated nonverbal components are colour symbolism, body movements (such as posture and gestures), facial expressions, haptics, and vocalics. The analysis conducted reveals the extent to which nonverbal elements may tilt the balance of success in presidential elections.

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