In the midst of a whirlwind of breaking news and hot topics, a notable trend emerged last year—a surge of content creators actively engaging in the political arena. Notably, the European Union, in its bid to regulate the online sphere, adopted a dual strategy to amplify its communication efforts by engaging influencers. Some institutions opened their doors to content creators to enlighten young people about the Union’s actions and tap the influencers’ insights on the most resonant topics with the online audience.
Enter the era of “political influencers” and “online activists” – figures on the web who’ve recently seized the spotlight. These online mavens specialise in delving into in-depth discussions about local policies or fervently advocating for their causes.
What is more, it has become standard practice for political parties to launch their campaigns on social media platforms, in a bid to reach diverse audiences. As this year’s elections approach, some political parties are taking the unconventional route of enlisting influencers in paid partnerships to amplify their message.
What unfolds at the crossroads of social media, content creators and political campaigns? And how does it change politics when a politician becomes a political content creator?
In our quest to better understand the phenomenon, we talked with Nicu Ștefănuță, vice-president of the European Greens in the European Parliament, who is making waves both in the EP and on social platforms. You’ll find him on Instagram, where he posts regular political updates, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of politics and the digital realm.
Q1: Mr. Stefănuță, could you please shortly introduce yourself? Who are you and what values do you stand for?
My name is Nicu and I am a politician, but also a human being. (Note: Mr. Ștefănuță asked me multiple times during the interview to address him by his first name and use the informal second-person conjugation in Romanian). I like to combine these two because I have always wanted to be a politician similar to Western leaders – politicians who are first and foremost people, ordinary citizens – not dignitaries, not above everyone else. I admire the example of a prime minister who rides a bicycle (a reference to Dutch PM Mark Rutte) or a politician who speaks on the same level to the people.
I represent green, social and progressive values and I try to embody all these values in what I do.
Q2: What is your opinion about the role of content creators or influencers in the political sphere?
There is a general distrust in politicians. Somehow, people have forgotten – and rightly so – to follow politicians. So they follow people who are like themselves, moreover, who have done something in society – influencers.
Selly is among the biggest and most well-known in his country – I remember he started talking about education issues and preparation for the high school graduation exam. Silviu Faiăr, whom I really like, is the only one who talks about real social issues in Romania and isn’t afraid to point out social problems. Aluziva, another very well-known influencer, talks about psychological issues, mental health, the role of mothers and the problems of a young family.
So, if you don’t have politicians or leaders whom you can trust or look up to, then there’s somehow a gap left, and this gap is filled by influencers; by people who have something to say in society. I like it, it’s a part of civil society and I enjoy working with them because it makes me feel closer to the average person through them.
Q3: Do you think a collaboration with them would attract a younger electorate?
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I believe that for fellow influencers, it is a way for them to voice their concerns in the European Parliament – to expand their scope, to reach even higher than they already are. For example, when we had Selly in the EP, he offered a discussion about mental health and spoke in the EP about what he sees among his followers, about FOMO (fear of missing out), materialism, the need to accumulate goods, about unrealistic expectations. I believe it is a mutual benefit. A normal cooperation, not necessarily a mutual advantage.
Q4: In June, Andrei Șelaru came at your invitation to Parliament to discuss social media and the mental health issues of young people. What was the purpose of his involvement in the debate? How do you think his speech was received by those in Parliament?
I am the coordinator for mental health in the Health Committee of the Greens in the European Parliament and Selly came at my invitation for a debate on mental health among young people.
It was very well-received; I believe it also had a significant online impact – many views. And my colleagues said, “Wow, what a smart and interesting young person you have from Romania“. And for me, it was a good thing; I showed my colleagues that we have valuable young people.
(Full recording of Andrei Selaru’s (nicknamed Selly) speech in the European Parliament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrDdoakuDyk&ab_channel=Selly)
I also demonstrated this when my other guests came – Faiar, Zlavog, Anca Broasca, Mimi – the latter has a massive audience online of 1 million. Somehow, they voiced their opinions, doing so very affirmatively, and my European colleagues were genuinely impressed.
Q5: What is the segment or niche of influencers that you target for collaborations or that you want to promote?
…When I invited them, I told them, “Look, I work on mental health”, and they all reacted positively to that. Why? Because many of their followers face serious issues – depression, anxiety – which are not often talked about, but since they are in direct contact with those who follow them, they are aware, hear and talk about these things.
Q6: Can you tell us about the meeting in October in the European Parliament where several Romanian influencers participated? What was the agenda and the topics discussed?
We had two major themes – mental health and sustainability. Accordingly, we had influencers who are already talking online about these topics. We had two panels with European parliamentarians and representatives of the European Commission. In these panels, the influencers spoke and shared materials on their pages. We brought them face to face with European decision-makers. At that time, we were voting on a resolution for mental health in the European Parliament, and my fight is to have 30 therapy sessions covered by the National Health Insurance House (CNAS). At the moment, there aren’t any; therapy is too expensive in Romania, only a few sessions, 2 or 7, depending on the case. And anyone who has ever been to therapy knows it’s not enough. It’s a poor understanding of the phenomenon.
There are many sufferers, especially among young people, but also among adults – and there we are talking about severe, undiagnosed cases that sometimes persist throughout their lives. As a politician, I sometimes joke that in politics, sociopaths, psychopaths, and other conditions roam free. I am kidding and at the same time I’m not – because sometimes it’s true.
Everyone felt their voice was heard, that they were speaking where it mattered. It was definitely beneficial for both sides.
Q7: What would be the significant outcomes of these collaborations with the content creators in the European Parliament?
On the one hand, it provided grassroots feedback for this EP report … and I incorporated some of the suggestions.
On the other hand, their followers, each with their audience and numbers, heard that they matter, that there might still be politicians who are honest. … There’s a danger, and we shouldn’t avoid it, that young people say –“There’s no one there who looks like me, no one who speaks my language, they’re all old folks in suits and are all corrupt.” In short – it’s not like that, at least I don’t see myself that way. Somehow, I opened the doors of the European Parliament to an audience that had never seen the EP before. I remember Mimi told me, “I really wasn’t interested in politics, but since I’ve been there, I’m more interested, I read more, I get involved more”. That’s a good outcome for me. If an influencer who influences 1 million people has that conclusion that it does matter – it is, for the society as a whole, in my opinion, a good thing.
Q8: It seems to me that you somehow started this type of collaborations. Do you happen to know if there were such invitations to the European Parliament before Selly?
Yes, I believe I kickstarted it. We were all hesitant, unsure if they would come or not. But, as one saying goes –“if you never ask, you will never get”. So, we tried. And it turned out well because we piqued their interest in the European Parliament and European politics.
Q9: Even the European Commission is now turning to influencers to strengthen its communication.
And that’s how they should do it. It took the administration significantly longer to understand how things work. But I see that both the EP and the EC are trying to speak more in this influencer area now, and it’s good that they are doing so.
Q10: I understood that during the meeting in October, the content creators were speakers at a workshop titled “How to not be a boomer online”. What was the purpose of organising this meeting?
That was an exchange where we politicians were seeking feedback on how to promote good policies – for instance, regarding housing, mental health, environment or economic anxiety. There are many intricacies in online communication. So, we asked them “How do you say these things more directly, so they reach people and resonate with what we’re doing?”
Q11: Considering their audience, but also perhaps the advertising campaigns they are part of, or simply the desire to remain politically unaffiliated, do you consider it possible to collaborate with content creators in conducting online political campaigns?
Everyone has to decide for themselves how involved they get, where, if they want to, if they don’t want to, just like with civil society. There are different sectors. Civil society, the press are a different sector from the political field, but they are also part of the power system in the state. I cannot speak for them – whom they will support, if they will support, if they will get involved. What is certain is that I would truly be happy if they encouraged young people to come out, to tell them there are options this year, to encourage them to get informed, to open their minds.
Q12: Is there a difference between collaborating with European institutions or with a political party?
I don’t really see them collaborating with a political party. I believe that their willingness to work with me also stems from the fact that I am an independent candidate in Romania and don’t come with a party brand. I cannot speak for them regarding the political decisions they will make or not.
Q13: How do you assess the impact of social media in the development and promotion of political projects / campaigns?
Social media is important because it keeps you in tune – hearing and seeing what society consumes, what society thinks. On one hand, you enrich yourself by learning what society thinks. On the other hand, social media has its own communication rules. I’m 42 years old. I’m not 24 anymore, and I can easily be a “Boomer”, as young people say. Meaning that I can make mistakes like their parents do on social media. At the same time, I’m trying to educate myself, to keep up with the way young people communicate – their words, their slang, their style, without being too “Cringe” or forced, or uncomfortable – because it shows. But, it’s a battleground you need to know. Politics still matters in our lives, it decides a lot of things. And I cannot accept that the political spectrum has no voice for progressive people, for example in Romania.
