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Digital Campaigning in Europe: A Series of Articles

Introduction

This series of articles from the European Center for Digital Action explores the evolving use of digital tools and strategies in political and social campaigns across Europe, covering case studies, technological impacts, democratic implications, and ethical considerations.

Articles

We could Crowdfund a Progressive Europe for the People, by the People

Progressives are struggling to not only mobilise citizens behind movements that can effectively push back at the rising tide of right-wing populism, but also win. A move towards community financing could give them the ammunition they need, Mar Garcia Sanz writes.

The tactics laid down by Sanders and other progressives including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are now being adopted widely in races of all sizes, and helping candidates and movements that, historically, may have faced funding barriers — including those fronted by women, people of colour, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and low-income Americans.

A move towards community financing could give them the ammunition they need, in this regard, and inject a much-needed dose of democracy into our political systems. By encouraging small and regular donations, there is an opportunity to engage and bring more citizens into the progressive tent for the long term.

AI in 2024: How the Latest Tech will be used in Political Campaigns 

…Today’s AI is more powerful and pervasive than ever. And in 2024, it’s set to become an integral part of campaign strategies. Emerging technologies, from chatbots to generative AI, are changing the game, helping campaign teams target voters better than ever before. Here’s how political campaigns can stay ahead of the curve…

How Women and Youth led a Digital-driven Progressive Win in Poland 

The outcome of the 2023 Polish elections surprised many Europeans: despite the incumbent PiS government’s strong hold over the country’s traditional media, they were voted out of office. Their election defeat seems largely down to the increased turnout of women and young people. Polish digital activist Eweline Kycia explains how online grassroots campaigns managed to convince them to go cast their vote.

What changed for women and young people, during those days and weeks leading up to the elections? Research looking to answer that question has found that the increased turnout was largely down to social campaigns online.

The report found that the large number of campaigns and activities in Poland during the weeks leading up to the elections – mostly on the Internet – had created a strong impression that these elections were important and that it was vital that everyone should take part in them. A new social norm, so to speak, was created in this way. It is difficult to imagine something like this happening via a traditional, top-down campaign. It was their grassroots nature that made these campaigns so successful: numerous independent organizations created the campaigns that best reached their audiences.

Hope for Europe: 30 Million Progressive Citizens Ready to Take Action

If you are a progressive citizen today, you have two options, thinks Estratos CEO Ádám Ficsor: you either accept the mainstream narrative that far-right movements are on the rise – that this is their decade – or you challenge this story, and fight back. Choosing the second does not require you to challenge reality: a study examining political leanings across thirty-two European countries paints a more hopeful picture of the political present in Europe.

Apart from offering us hope, these numbers tell us that the most important component of progressive power is already in place: a large number of people ready to take action. But power is not just about numbers: it is also, importantly, about community activism and engagement.

“We are not conservative in our ideals, why would we be conservative in our tactics?” Inside Spain’s successful Sumar campaign

Inside Spain’s successful Sumar campaign…Left-wing platform Sumar managed to do in Spain what many progressive parties in Europe are struggling to achieve: push back against the rising far-right and reconnect with the people. It would not have been possible without digital organizing, say the people behind their 2023 election campaign.

How a platform this young managed to do what many traditional progressive parties in Europe – parties with the weight of decades behind them – are struggling to accomplish, has left quite a few people in European politics scratching their heads. But with a Socialist-Sumar coalition now officially inaugurated as government, and

…Sumar did not do well despite their lack of weight but rather because of it: it made them flexible and dynamic enough to create a real  people’s movement and a successful campaign, using tactics tailored to the present.

A Perfect Match: Populism and Deepfakes by Tibor

AI is increasingly used by populist campaigns to manipulate the truth, writes Tibor Dessewffy, director of the Hungarian Digital Sociology Research Centre. Deepfakes can be used to create messages that resonate with audiences – regardless of their factual basis. Dessewffy explains what is needed to counter these populist narratives with a unified message of participation, inclusion and progress, harnessing the power of digital tools.

Populist forces, often leaning on persuasive messaging, can use deepfakes to create and disseminate messages that resonate with their audience, regardless of their factual basis. This makes AI a powerful tool in the hands of those who want to shape public opinion without being constrained by the truth. 

As populism gains strength, progressive leaders must continue to organize communities, both online and offline, helping them rediscover values that are now under threat. A sense of support and solidarity can help restore and more fairly reorganize the overturned world order.

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