Digital's Role in Upcoming European Elections
In the upcoming 2024 European elections in France, the digital proposals of various political parties revolve around combating disinformation, strengthening digital sovereignty, ensuring regulation of online platforms, and promoting digital democracy reforms.
Fighting Disinformation and Regulating Digital Platforms
The European Union has taken a strong stance on digital sovereignty and combating disinformation. Measures such as the temporary TikTok ban in French territories to prevent misinformation and maintain public order reflect a broader political will to control digital spaces at both national and European levels.
Supporting EU-wide Digital Regulation Frameworks
The Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) became fully applicable in 2024, shaping how platforms must operate with transparency and respect for democratic values. Parties in France support these acts to create a harmonized, safe digital environment protecting citizens’ rights and privacy.
Institutional Reforms for Digital Democracy
Proposals from pro-European federalist groups include reforms like introducing transnational electoral lists for the European Parliament elections, aiming to deepen European democratic legitimacy and foster transnational political engagement through digital means.
Priorities in Digital Policy
The Socialists and Democrats emphasize building a digital Europe that is inclusive and strategically autonomous, likely reflecting France’s left-leaning parties’ digital agenda to ensure Europe’s digital sovereignty and economic independence.
Challenges in Digital Political Advertising
New EU regulations on online political advertising limit paid promotion of issue-specific content, pushing political campaigns to rely more on traditional media or organic growth channels. This shift will impact how French parties utilize digital tools in campaigning.
Awaken Europe: Reinforcing Digital Sovereignty
Awaken Europe ensures European industrial sovereignty by developing an offensive digital industrial policy, creating a sovereign fund to invest in digital, imposing financing obligations on foreign tech giants (GAFAM and BATX) in exchange for access to our market, and pushing for an international agreement on artificial intelligence.
Europe Territories Ecology: A European Netflix and Digital Rights
Europe Territories Ecology creates a "European Netflix" to access all cultural productions funded by public funds. The party also harmonizes legislation on women's rights in the most progressive way within the Union and strengthens the implementation and supervision of the GDPR to guarantee the fundamental right to privacy.
Ecology at the Core: Protecting Humans and Jobs
Ecology at the Core protects humans and jobs in the face of AI and digital development, and makes the EU the champion of humanist, sustainable, and mastered AI by strengthening the security of personal data and combating cyber malevolence.
The Need for Europe: Protecting Children Online
The Need for Europe proposes to better protect children online, with the majority of 15-year-olds on social networks, by default parental control on mobile devices, and systematic age verification for access to websites prohibited to minors.
The Pirate Party: Net Neutrality, Digital Participation, and Personal Data Rights
The Pirate Party supports net neutrality by prohibiting content-based restriction or prioritization and limiting traffic management measures to those that are clear and transparent for technical reasons. The party also supports the inclusion of the right to "digital participation" in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the establishment of a genuine property right over personal data, allowing each individual to choose what to do with it.
That's Enough Europe!: Defending Cash and Freedom of Expression
That's Enough Europe! defends freedom of expression against social media censorship and constitutionally protects cash, a symbol of freedom, and refuses the digital euro, a generalized surveillance tool.
Left United for the World of Work: Relaunching and Completing the Galileo Program
Left united for the world of work supported by Fabien Roussel wants to develop our independence and sovereignty in geolocation, observation, and spatial telecommunications by relaunching and completing the Galileo program, currently only 20% complete, supporting the realization of the IRIS2 project under true public control, and more broadly defending an ambitious and sovereign European space policy.
Regulating the Digital Space for the Younger Generation
Awaken Europe regulates the digital space and social networks for the younger generation to combat cyberbullying, abusive practices, information manipulation, and foreign interference online, and ensures media and digital education throughout Europe. The party also guarantees universal digital accessibility for people with disabilities.
Linking the European Digital Transition with a Democratic Revolution
Awaken Europe links the European digital transition with a democratic revolution, notably through digital education for all, to ensure that all citizens have control over digital services.
[1] TikTok ban in French territories [2] Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) [3] Transnational electoral lists for the European Parliament elections [4] Socialists and Democrats' digital agenda [5] New EU regulations on online political advertising
Technology is a central focus in the upcoming 2024 European elections in France, as political parties propose measures such as a temporary TikTok ban to combat disinformation (1) and support for the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) to regulate online platforms (2). Aiming to deepen European democratic legitimacy, various parties advocate for transnational electoral lists for the European Parliament elections (3), aligning with the digital agenda of the Socialists and Democrats who emphasize building a digital Europe (4). As a response to new EU regulations on online political advertising (5), parties will need to adapt their campaign strategies, potentially relying more on traditional media or organic growth channels.
