Digital Electoral Campaigning on Instagram: Gendered Engagement Dynamics of German and Spanish Political Parties in the 2024 EP Elections

This article examines user engagement with Instagram posts by German and Spanish political parties during the European Parliament (EP) electoral campaign in 2024. Digital platforms like Instagram have become central to political communication, offering parties opportunities to increase visibility, mobilize supporters, and directly interact with voters. With the EP elections scheduled for June 9, 2024, and against the expected swing to the political right in the EP, analyzing digital campaigning strategies is crucial for understanding how social media influences electoral dynamics in Europe. Building on prior research on user engagement and digital electoral campaigning, this study investigates how political parties in Germany and Spain use Instagram to campaign, mobilize and shape voter participation. The dataset includes all Instagram posts published by German and Spanish parties during the five weeks preceding the election (N=759). These posts are systematically coded to examine their (gendered) policy focus, mobilization strategies, and use of platform-specific features such as emojis and hashtags. Furthermore, we analyze user engagement metrics, distinguishing between low-level engagement (likes) and high-level engagement (comments), to identify patterns in audience response. Our findings reveal four key insights. First, low-level user engagement (likes) consistently exceeds high-level engagement (comments) across all political parties and both countries, indicating limited user interaction beyond passive approval. Second, right-wing populist parties (AfD in Germany and Vox in Spain) outperform mainstream parties in generating both low- and high-level engagement. This highlights their ability to leverage digital platforms effectively to amplify their messages and appeal to voters. Third, posts focusing on gender-related issues receive notably lower engagement, suggesting that gender equality remains a marginal topic in the EP electoral discourse. Fourth, mobilization strategies, such as calls to action or voter outreach efforts, are used sparingly, indicating that most mainstream parties view Instagram primarily as a visibility tool rather than a platform for active voter mobilization. By exploring the intersection of (gendered) policy content, platform-specific features, and user engagement, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how digital communication shapes electoral dynamics in Europe. Our findings are particularly relevant in the context of growing polarization, the rise of right-wing populism, and the increasing prominence of digital electoral campaigning.