Representation of the central slogan of the fourteenth government among social media users (Case study: Persian Twitter)

Avoiding "conflict" and discord was a central theme for Masoud Pezeshkian during the campaign for the 14th presidential election. He stressed that the nation's problems would be solved when "we stop fighting each other." After his victory, this idea crystallized into the concept of "consensus," becoming the core theme and slogan of his government. Following the cabinet's vote of confidence and the government's launch, Pezeshkian's tweet with the keyword "consensus" sparked widespread discussion among the public, media, and political and civic activists. The key question is: what understanding of consensus has emerged among political groups?

To explore this, Persian Twitter data, where diverse political groups are active, was analyzed using a mixed-method approach, combining content analysis and social network analysis (SNA). The findings show that Twitter users' perceptions of consensus are varied and somewhat conflicting, shaped by their political leanings. Two main views of consensus emerged: the first sees it as tied to political appointments. Conversely, some government critics define consensus as fulfilling societal demands, specifically highlighting issues like changes in filtering laws and hijab policies as symbols of these demands. According to these findings, at least among Twitter's political and civic activists, consensus does not mean "shared problem-solving."