Is Politics Today Simply About Communication, or is Digital Media One Tool in the Broader Political Strategy?

Edited by Samuel Lee

Introduction

Is politics today simply about communication, or is digital media one tool in the broader political strategy? The strategic use of digital platforms has transformed political engagement by enabling candidates to appear relatable and forge emotional connections with voters. Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign marked a turning point, moving digital outreach from the margins to the heart of electoral strategy.

Since then, parties across the political spectrum have adopted digital tools to shape public opinion. In France, the far-right party formerly known as Front National renamed Rassemblement National (RN) in 2018 to soften its image and broaden its appeal, was exploring direct communication strategies well before social media became dominant. Long before Facebook or TikTok, the party used older technologies like Minitel and Audiotel to bypass mainstream media and connect with voters.

Recent data reflects how media habits have shifted. A 2022 study by Ipsos and Sopra Steria found that 73% of 16- to 30-year-olds in France rely on social media as their main source of information (Ipsos & Sopra Steria, 2022). This generational shift aligns with the RN’s digital strategy in the 2024 European and legislative elections, where the party tailored content to younger users’ preferred platforms.

Leading this shift is Jordan Bardella, the RN’s president, who uses TikTok to craft a charismatic, accessible image. His use of memes, livestreams, and short videos reflects Barker and Angelopulo’s (2005) integrated messaging framework, which promotes consistency across channels to build public trust.

This essay asks how do digital platforms, especially TikTok, enhance voter relatability and affective connection in the RN’s 2024 European and Legislative campaigns, and how do these strategies contribute to electoral success? Drawing on theories of mediated intimacy, media logic, and the engagement economy, the analysis will focus on three key aspects. First, how social media creates a feeling of direct interaction between politicians and voters. Second, how emotional storytelling and cultural references present Bardella as a symbol of hope and generational change. And third, how digital activism helps mobilize supporters and build a connected political community. Together, these strategies show how digital communication has become central to modern political engagement, not just a tool, but a core force driving political visibility and shaping voter relationships.

I) Relatability Through Social Media Personalization

Digital platforms have transformed political communication by creating the illusion of direct, personal connection between political figures and voters. This sense of intimacy enhances a candidate’s relatability and charisma, making them appear more accessible and authentic. On platforms like TikTok, Jordan Bardella bypasses traditional media and political conventions, engaging users through informal, unscripted content. His approach positions him not just as a politician, but as a familiar online personality.

Since 2019, the Rassemblement National (RN) has invested over €600,000 in Facebook advertising and expanded its presence on platforms like TikTok. The platform’s format, which encourages short videos, personalised feeds, and user participation, is especially effective for reaching younger, less politically engaged users. Bardella has capitalised on this, becoming the third most followed French politician on TikTok, behind Emmanuel Macron and Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Performing Authenticity

Bardella’s appeal on TikTok comes from deliberately making himself seem authentic. His videos feature informal settings, spontaneous street interviews, and reactive commentary, which blur the lines between personal and political life. This style creates a sense of emotional closeness central to Bardella's digital appeal. As Hearn and Schoenhoff (2015) argue, in the digital age, authenticity is not an inherent quality, but a performative act constructed through perceived accessibility and emotional engagement.

Bardella’s ‘boy-next-door’ image is a deliberate inversion of traditional political norms. He tightens the connection between personal moments and political messaging, fostering what Banet-Weiser (2012) terms brand intimacy: the feeling that audiences are closely connected to a public figure’s personal and political journey. In this context, authenticity creates an emotional foundation for political connection, building trust and support.

Humour as A Political Tool

Bardella’s use of humour and irony sets him apart from other French politicians, helping him connect with younger audiences and stand out in the digital landscape. By engaging with viral trends and memes, he injects humour into his messaging and presents himself as culturally aware and relatable. Humour becomes a rhetorical strategy that lowers the barrier to political engagement, especially for younger or less politically active users.

This aligns with Chmel et al. (2024), who argue that satirical memes can bridge political knowledge gaps by making complex issues more accessible. As AlAfnan (2025) notes, “the brevity and humour embedded within memes make them accessible to a broad audience.” Humour supports selective exposure by drawing Gen Z users toward political content they might otherwise ignore. At the same time, Bardella’s meme-driven strategy reflects Bogerts and Fielitz’s (2019) concept of ‘meme warfare’, where light-hearted content normalises ideological positions contributing to an ‘ambivalent aesthetics of hate’. In this way, humour is not just entertainment but functions as ideological softening.

Spreadable Media

Bardella’s content is created for spreadability, to be shared easily across platforms. This reflects Jenkins et al.'s (2013) concept of ‘spreadable media’ where users actively circulate content rather than passively consume it. His clips are short, emotionally charged, and designed for engagement. Videos of him confronting journalists, addressing controversial topics, or using humour to discredit opponents are often decontextualised and amplifying reach and emotional impact.

This sharing turns audiences into active participants, encouraging political alignment through low-effort actions such as liking or reposting. The RN’s strategy aligns with Bennett and Segerberg’s (2012) model of ‘connective action’, where mobilisation is driven by personalised sharing where mobilisation is driven by personalised sharing within digital networks rather than formal organisation. However, as Chmel et al. (2024) caution, this form of circulation can reinforce informational gaps, as it tends to resonate more with politically interested users. Beyond passive sharing, Bardella’s team deepens engagement through real time livestream reinforcing affective ties with followers.

Livestreams and Real Time Intimacy

Beyond pre-recorded videos, Bardella frequently hosts TikTok livestreams, speaking in informal French while answering questions in real time. This reinforces the illusion direct communication and immediacy, allowing audiences to feel personally connected. His background as a young, politician without an elite education strengthens this sense of relatability among both Gen Z users and older RN supporters.

These livestreams illustrate the kind of intimate interaction that Church and De Oliveira (2013) associate with messaging platforms, where real-time exchanges foster closeness and familiarity. On TikTok Live, this dynamic reaches to wider audiences, offering a space where political discourse feels informal, personal, and unfiltered. Bardella’s livestreams bridge the gap between personal outreach and political messaging, humanising him and making politics appear more accessible.

Algorithmic Amplification

The RN expanded its digital visibility by aligning content with TikTok’s algorithmic logic. By using emotionally charged hashtags like #jordanbardella, the party increases its visibility within the platform’s recommendation system, which prioritize sensational engaging content. This strategy aligns with van Dijck and Poell’s (2013) concept of ‘social media logic’, which highlights how algorithms and engagement patterns shape political communication.

Bardella’s approach also reflects Bossetta’s (2018) critique of platform affordances, showing how political actors adapt content to fit the norms and architecture of specific platforms. This allows the RN to bypass traditional media gatekeeping and directly reach younger audiences directly with emotionally resonant, shareable populist narratives.

Electoral Impact and Generational Appeal

While the RN’s electoral success cannot be attributed solely to its digital strategy, the timing and targeting of these tactics suggest they contributed significantly to the party’s appeal. In the 2024 European elections, the RN secured 31.37% of the vote and 30 seats, becoming the largest French delegation in the European Parliament. In the subsequent legislative elections, the party increased its seats from 89 to 143, though second-round alliances blocked a parliamentary majority despite leading the first round with 33.2%.

Digital outreach appears to have contributed to a dual generational appeal. According to Franceinfo (2024), 33% of voters aged 18–24 supported the RN, likely influenced by Bardella’s informal tone and presence on TikTok. At the same time, 40% of the 50–59 age group also backed the party, indicating the strategy’s broad resonance. Although other factors were at play, the RN’s digital presence strengthened visibility and emotional connection, supporting its overall electoral momentum.

Bardella’s digital strategy shows how far-right parties can use social media to modernise their image and expand their reach. By combining platform-specific tactics with emotionally engaging content, the RN fostered cross-generational appeal and increased its political visibility. While these tactics likely contributed to electoral gains, they also raise concerns about the ‘emotionalisation’ of politics and the spread of ideology through entertainment. As political engagement continues to unfold in algorithmic space, this case illustrates both the opportunities and risks of digital campaigning in reshaping democratic participation.

II) Affective Connection via Emotional and Cultural Framing Emotional Narratives

Political campaigns strategically employ emotional narratives and cultural references to portray candidates as symbols of both stability and change. By representing Jordan Bardella as a symbolic ‘protector’ of French identity, the RN cultivates affective bonds with voters. This reflects how emotional investments in political symbols are shaped through the interplay of enjoyment and fantasy, as theorized by Eklundh and Ronderos (2025).

The RN’s communication strategy draws on both nostalgia and fear. Party videos often juxtapose idealised imagery of rural France with warnings about the ‘grand remplacement’ (demographic replacement). Such imagery creates an ‘us vs. them’ narrative that intensifies both cultural and national anxiety, reinforcing a collective identity rooted in preserving French culture and tradition. As Glynos (2008) explains, fantasy plays a critical role in identity formation by mobilizing desire through (dis)identificatory process simultaneously invoking an idealised, beatific scenario and an implicitly catastrophic alternative. The RN’s dual narrative structure taps into this logic, celebrating a utopian version of French heritage while warning of its potential collapse.

These tactics not only deepen ideological divisions but elevate Bardella from spokesperson to generational figurehead. His leadership marks a deliberate rebranding effort to distance the party from the stigmatised legacy of the Front National (FN), founded in 1972 by political figures linked to neo-Nazi ideologies. The RN’s historical associations with racism, antisemitism, and islamophobia limited its mainstream appeal, prompting Marine Le Pen to initiate a process of ‘dédiabolisation’ (de-demonization), which Dézé (2015) describes as a calculated political rebranding.

Emotional Narratives as A Rebranding Tool

Bardella drives this rebranding not by changing the party’s core ideology, but by shifting focus to emotional identification and personal branding. His strategy relies on narrative consistency, affective appeal, and symbolic communication, echoing Elving’s (2005) view that strategic messaging shapes public opinion. These methods reconfigure the party’s image while retaining its ideological base.

By cultivating a youthful, modern image without abandoning RN values, Bardella presents a transformation that appears both authentic and intentional. He leads an evolution of the party that feels natural and strategic, ultimately broadening its appeal within the current political landscape. His approach aligns with Gramsci’s insight that hegemony is most effective when dominant narratives are internalised as ‘common sense’. In this way, Bardella’s rebranding not only distances the RN from its extremist past but also redefines nationalism as a modern, emotionally appealing form of cultural renewal.

Digital Emotional Narratives and Voter Engagement.

Building on this affective strategy, digital media play an increasingly central role in shaping voter perception. As Brader (2006) notes, campaigns use emotional appeals to trigger targeted voter responses. Bardella’s digital strategy follows this logic, mirroring techniques used in Donald Trump’s campaigns by discrediting opponents while promoting his own movement.

This is exemplified by a TikTok video posted on 30 January 2025 by Bardella’s team. Rapid cuts of chaotic left-wing protests are used to evoke disorder and threat. The thumbnail features a distorted image of Manon Aubry, co-president of ‘La France Insoumise’ (LFI), overlaid with communist symbols and visual distortions. This tactic reflects Nagle’s (2017) analysis of how far-right communities use transgressive humour, trolling, and cultural symbols to mock progressive figures and normalise extremist views. In contrast, the second half of the video depicts energetic RN youth supporters, reinforcing the ideological and emotional divide. This dual structure discredits opposition while affirming the movement’s identity.

Selective Exposure and Algorithmic Reinforcement

Emotionally polarising content is especially effective in media environments shaped by selective exposure and algorithmic personalisation. Digital platforms influence how users engage with political content by encouraging selective exposure. Iyengar and Hahn (2009) explain that users choose sources that confirm their existing beliefs, strengthening partisan loyalty. Algorithmic personalisation intensifies selective exposure by tailoring content to users’ preferences, narrowing the range of perspectives available and contributing to the formation of digital echo chambers.

Stroud (2008) offers empirical evidence showing that when individuals have many media options, their political leanings strongly influence the news they consume. Her analysis demonstrates that features such as selective navigation, personalised feeds, and user controlled content exposure foster ideological conformity. Drawing on Festinger’s (1957) Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Stroud argues that selective exposure serves as a coping mechanism to reduce the discomfort of conflicting information. Together, these dynamics reduce the ideological diversity and reinforce ideological uniformity.

Cultural References and Symbolic Framing

In parallel with these algorithmic dynamics, the RN also reinforces its messaging through culturally resonant symbols. Beyond memes and emotional storytelling, the RN engages younger audience by adopting culturally resonant symbols. A notable example is the use of the ‘red pill’ from ‘The Matrix’ repurposed by far-right online communities to signal anti woke beliefs and conspiratorial views on global control and immigration. Plottu and Macé (2024) argue that cultural relatability is central to modern ideological struggles. Unlike traditional far-right rhetoric grounded in intellectual texts, today’s communication is visual, emotionally engaging, and easily sharable, making it highly effective in fast-paced digital environments.

The Role of Traditional Media

Traditional media still influence public opinion. As Ball‑Rokeach and DeFleur, (1976) argue, these channels do not only reflect public sentiment but shape it. By determining which narratives are broadcasted, mainstream media lend legitimacy to specific viewpoints. Through repetition and media exposure, such narratives are normalised, legitimised, and absorbed into what is perceived as everyday common sense. These narratives can then gain further traction when circulated across digital platforms.

Taken together, these strategies show how emotional narratives, cultural symbols and both traditional and digital‑media converge in Bardella’s 2024 European and legislative campaign to forge an affective bond with younger voters. By presenting him as a modern guardian of French identity, the RN has recast Bardella as both a symbol of stability and generational renewal.

III) Political Mobilization and Networked Digital Activism

Memes, Micro-Platforms, and Connective Action

After establishing strong emotional bonds through nostalgia and fantasy, the RN leverages its digital platforms to convert emotion into action. Viral memes and user‑generated videos, especially those featuring Jordan Bardella, become powerful tools for engaging young voters. Hutchinson (2019) describes this phenomenon as ‘micro‑platformisation’, where decentralized political engagement blends entertainment and political messaging. On TikTok, reaction clips, fan edits and memes converge into a coherent narrative that amplifies Bardella’s leadership and reinforces the RN’s core messages. This dynamic illustrates Bennett and Segerberg’s (2012) concept of connective action, in which personalized digital content itself becomes a form of political participation outside formal party structures. By mirroring supporters’ language, humour and style, peer-driven content deepens identification with the party and drives campaigning without formal endorsement. Algorithmic recommendation systems further boost high‑engagement content, amplifying memes and videos to wider audiences, though platform moderation and fact‑checking may disrupt this circulation.

Microcoordination and the Digital Marketing Funnel

Building on connective action, supporters also engage in what Ling and Lai (2016) call ‘microcoordination 2.0’. They use TikTok livestream and encrypted group chats to coordinate campaigns in real time, from synchronized posting drives to informal outreach without any central command. Both official RN content and user generated posts feed into a digital marketing funnel, as described by Colicev et al. (2019) and Dejnak (2024). Although the RN does not formally promote this model, its playful digital tools and use of encrypted platforms effectively mobilise supporters while maintaining a unified political narrative.

Pop Fascism and the Normalisation of Extremist Narratives

Expanding on this networked media strategy, Plottu and Macé (2024) explain how far‑right ideology captures public opinion by shifting the ‘Overton window’ so that ideas once considered extremist such as the conspiratorial theory of the ‘grand replacement’, become normalized through repeated exposure. They define pop fascism as an online subculture built around racist symbols, aesthetic codes and a network of influencers who act as ideological anchor. These influencers promote hypermasculinity, anti-immigration rhetoric, sexism and opposition to progressive causes such as climate action and social justice. These narratives present these views as justified responses to a perceived threat against traditional identity, thereby reinforcing the RN’s overarching message

Femonationalism and Feminist-Coded Mobilisation

Complementing these tactics, Farris’s (2017) concept of femonationalism shows how nationalist and neoliberal actors co-opt feminist rhetoric to justify xenophobic policies while claiming to support gender equality. In France, ‘Collectif Némésis’ founded in 2019 by Alice Cordier, claims a feminist identity but spreads identitarian and anti‑immigration, ideas. Using TikTok, Instagram, and encrypted livestreams the group links migration to sexual violence stirring fear and moral outrage. This strategy not only stigmatises immigrants but also reinforces the RN’s portrayal of immigration as a threat to cultural identity and women’s safety. By aligning with femonationalist groups like ‘Collectif Némésis’, the RN accesses online feminist audiences and builds emotional ties with young women who might otherwise ignore far right content. During the 2024 European and legislative campaigns, integrating these narratives made the RN’s messaging more relatable and emotionally engaging, boosting voter participation and electoral success.

Semiotic Protest and Youth Political Identity

Milner (2018) argues that internet culture has transformed political participation, shifting it away from formal structures toward symbolic, expressive protest mediated through memes, hashtags, short videos, and emotionally charged storytelling. ‘Collectif Némésis’ exemplifies this logic. Through feminist‑framed stunts, viral TikToks, and encrypted livestreams, they use platform features to generate emotional impact. Milner notes that these “semiotic acts” function as affective performances signalling political identity more than policy demands. When amplified by the RN, such performances foster a shared sense of grievance and cultural defensiveness that strengthens in-group identity particularly among young users on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Ultimately, digital protest culture does more than circulate identity-based discourse; it also strengthens the RN’s image as emotionally accessible and participatory, reinforcing its appeal as a party that listens, protects, and represents shared values among younger, digitally active voters.

Conclusion

The 2024 Rassemblement National campaign illustrates how far‑right politics are being reshaped in the digital era. Using digital platforms, the RN constructs a multifaceted strategy centred on relatability, affective connection and networked mobilisation. By presenting Bardella as a charismatic, youthful figure and using nostalgic, alarmist content tailored to each platform’s affordances, the RN forges affective bonds with younger voters that transcend traditional face‑to‑face mobilization. Simultaneously, user‑generated content transforms supporters into co‑creators of the party’s messaging, while national media coverage reinforces its presence among older electorates.

Private group chats and synchronized posting drives a form of microcoordination 2.0, turn followers into real time campaign agents without central direction. Official content and grassroots posts feed into a cross-platform marketing funnel in which viral videos spark awareness, livestreams enable direct engagement, and targeted calls to action drive offline activities. Repeated exposure to ‘grand replacement’ imagery and red pill symbolism shifts the Overton window, making once extremist ideas appear normal. Meanwhile, television and national newspapers presents these narratives as balanced debate, legitimising them for older audiences before recirculating them through digital platforms.

Yet this digital transformation raises critical concerns for democratic discourse. Algorithms amplification prioritises emotional engagement over accuracy, fuelling polarisation and sidelining substantive debate. Europe’s online ad regulations remain fragmented and enforced inconsistently, and while foreign agents are barred from funding campaigns, enforcement is rare, creating gaps that threaten accountability. To prevent emotional appeal from overriding reasoned public deliberation, it is essential to strengthen disclosure requirements, improve platform moderation and invest in digital literacy.

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