Communicating Europe digitally: strategies of the von der Leyen commission 2.0

Abstract

In times of disinformation and heightened polarization, communication strategies aimed at reaching the public are essential to safeguarding institutional credibility and citizens’ right to information. This is particularly important for the European Commission, which faces a turbulent geopolitical scenario. In this context, our research explores the European Commission’s digital communication strategies during the initial three months of its 2024-2029 term, dealing with its use of social media to engage with the public and assessing whether these strategies align with official priorities. Specifically, the study addresses four key questions regarding strategic agendas, platform-specific communication adaptations, engagement levels, and the scope of personalization. Based on a qualitative approach to all posts published by the European Commission’s verified accounts on ten platforms, we find that the Commission’s digital communication corresponds somewhat with its priorities, focusing on quality of life and global Europe, though some issues are underrepresented. Communication strategies change among platforms, having different engagement levels. They also target specific audiences, such as younger users on Instagram and Pinterest. Besides that, the study reveals a strong personalization around president von der Leyen, which blends institutional priorities with personal messaging and have implications in the analysis of the public communication of this EU body