Is My Leader “Cool”? Differences in How Fans Perceive the Coolness of Female and Male Political Leaders

Abstract

This article examines how followers perceive the “coolness” of political leaders, focusing on dimensions such as appeal, style, and lifestyle, and exploring whether these perceptions differ according to leaders’ gender. Drawing on survey data collected in seven European countries in 2024, the study analyses attitudes toward the five most appreciated male and female political leaders. The findings show that male leaders are generally regarded as cooler and tend to inspire more consistent judgements, whereas opinions about female leaders are more differentiated. Overall, the results suggest that the personalisation and celebrification of politics operate within a gendered framework, shaped by persistent stereotypes as well as by a tendency towards the objectification of female political leaders.