French Politicians Struggle to Harness Social Media Impact, Says Bayrou
French politicians are exploring social media to engage voters, but face significant limitations in impact compared to the US.
Key Points
- • François Bayrou launched a YouTube podcast about the 2026 budget.
- • Political scientist William Thay highlights social media's limited impact in France.
- • Jean-Luc Mélenchon has a strong YouTube presence, while Djebbari gained fame on TikTok.
- • De Villepin successfully uses TikTok, but overall social media effectiveness remains in question.
As French politicians increasingly turn to social media to engage with voters, recent efforts by Prime Minister François Bayrou highlight the limitations of this approach. Bayrou has launched a YouTube podcast focusing on the upcoming 2026 budget, aiming for direct communication with the public. However, political scientist William Thay underscores the challenges of social media's effectiveness in France, noting that its impact remains significantly less pronounced compared to the United States.
Thay pointed out that while in the U.S. politicians can effectively use social media to reach broader audiences—often surpassing traditional media formats—the same cannot be said for France. Social media remains a complement to, rather than a replacement for, more established media channels, limiting the overall outreach of initiatives like Bayrou's YouTube videos.
Other prominent figures, such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who boasts over 1.18 million subscribers on YouTube, and former Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, known as the 'Minister of TikTok,' have found varying degrees of success. Djebbari's content garnered significant views before his departure from government, showcasing a potential for engagement that still pales in comparison to the effectiveness seen in the U.S. Former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has also adapted well to TikTok, gaining traction through media excerpts.
The ongoing dialogue suggests that while French leaders are adapting to digital platforms, the broader societal dynamics still favor traditional media in political communication. As these politicians explore new techniques to engage with younger demographics, the question remains whether these new strategies will yield substantial influence, as they have in more digitally engaged democracies.