Visegrad Insight ponownie to opublikował(a)
Political scientist at d|part (Senior Research Fellow) and the University of Vienna (Visiting Professor) Research: transformation of democracy and political participation | regional focus: Central and Eastern Europe
I really enjoyed being part of the panel on democratic security after Germany's election with Alexandra Geese (MEP) and Matthew Karnitschnig (Euractiv), expertly moderated by Magdalena Góra (Institute of European Studies of the Jagiellonian University) and hosted by Visegrad Insight. We didn’t just analyze the main takeaways—who won, why they won, and what to expect from a likely CDU/CSU and SPD government—as many, including myself, have already discussed this extensively on LinkedIn. We also examined foreign electoral interference from Russia, the US, and other actors. One key takeaway for me was how difficult it is to measure the impact of Elon Musk’s active support for the AfD—whether through attending their party summit, engaging in strange conversations with Alice Weidel, or amplifying their messages on social media. However, an even more concerning issue is the disproportionate visibility of content from certain parties, particularly the AfD, on social media platforms. While we don’t fully understand how private company algorithms function, it’s clear that content from non-centrist parties often receives greater amplification. This isn’t just about political bias—it’s also about profit. Tech companies have financial incentives that shape their algorithms, which may also explain why certain tech figures align with populist leaders like Trump to protect their interests against the EU. Our discussion made one thing very clear: no single EU country can tackle this challenge alone. It requires an EU-wide approach. The Digital Services Act is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough. As long as social media platforms remain largely unregulated, their influence on public opinion poses a serious risk to free and fair elections in Europe. The recordings of the entire discussion series can be found on the Visegrad Insight website: https://lnkd.in/gMs2tAAk