More than 100 social media content creators were invited to the European Parliament in Brussels for a Content Creator Summit in a bid to promote the EP elections in June.
At the summit on May 2 and 3, the EP discussed ways of getting the young out to vote. In some countries, 16-year-olds will be voting for the first time.
EP officials told Brussels Signal the aim was to “reach various audiences to increase knowledge of the European Parliament and interest in participating in elections and democracy”.
Content creators were told they have permission to “share content about the EP and the EU” and can decide which elements “they consider relevant for their profiles and communities”.
One unnamed creator said it was more about “actions that can be taken to promote the elections”.
This is not the first time the European Union officials and institutions have targeted young voters as part of a broader youth-outreach campaign.
The European Union has launched a video campaign ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections, aiming to galvanise voters, especially the young, with the aim of “saving democracy”. https://t.co/98BvBBQvtq
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 2, 2024
As Brussels Signal reported on April 29, the EU launched a video campaign ahead of the June elections designed to galvanise voters, especially the young, with the aim of “saving democracy”.
On April 12, EP President Roberta Metsola and European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas addressed a gathering of more than 800 young attendees in Parliament emphasising the importance of their participation.
A recent survey reveals that 32 per cent of young Europeans believe that engaging in social media by expressing opinions or using hashtags is important to make their voice heard by decision-makers.
It is too early to tell if the widespread campaign targeting youngsters will have significant results in the June voting but according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 64 per cent of young EU citizens express their intention to vote.
EU officials hope that a high voter turnout among young people might counter “populist” movements.
EU officials are rallying young voter turnout with initiatives like #EuropeanYouthWeek in the hopes of countering a potential surge of Europe’s “populist” movements. https://t.co/DfH2FnCWEV
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 12, 2024
“It is important to underline that the European Parliament does not endorse in any way the personal views expressed by content creators,” EP officials told Brussels Signal.
