Social media: alternative views of the European elections
9 May 2014 10:38 AM
On 25 May, 400 million
citizens are asked to elect members of the European Parliament for the next 5
years. The social media and alternative communication tools offer users new
ways to share information on the European Parliament, its work and its
powers.
New dedicated applications,
videos and infographics are available on the European election and social media
web site. Here is a brief roundup of the various information channels offered
by the European Parliament’s information campaign.
A million social media
views
The European Parliament offers
two Facebook applications for the European elections.
The « I’m a voter »
balloon launch and race application offers you a fun way to tell your friends
that you are voting and why. The longest chain on this application, available
in 24 languages, currently links 12 people over 102,000 km.
The "A Taste of Europe"
application enables you to create a Facebook event to get together with your
friends on election results night – 25 May – share European recipes
and cook. Several renowned European chefs, from 7 EU member states, will offer
their recipes via this application. From 18,000 clicks to date, the most
popular recipe so far is a Lithuanian one, for cold beetroot
soup.
The storychangers.eu site invites young Europeans to vote on 22-25
May. This on-line event offers an interactive video animation story to which
studio artists will give alternative endings suggested by users from 6 to 9
May. #Storychangers has already had over 2,480,000 views on Youtube and
Facebook and 635 suggested alternative endings.
Also for young people, and
especially those voting for the first time, the "And then came a lot of sheep"
video is available on Youtube and Facebook.
The European Parliament has also
sent 28 blue and yellow figures, known as YABs and decorated in the 28 EU
member states’ colours, on a journey starting in each member
state’s capital city. The YABs must make it back to Brussels before the
elections. You can follow their progress on Instagram, with the hashtag
#YaBs2014.
Available on election web
site:
Take the "time machine" virtual trip
between 1979 et 2014.
Use "Box your
EP" as a fun way to explore Parliament and its decisions, and to take
part in quizzes.
Browse articles, infographics,
posters and portraits of Europeans on the site, or go to the download centre to
download and print visuals, or check out campaign TV and radio spots in all EU
languages
A pie chart projection of seats in the
new Parliament is also available on the site. Updated every week, it reflects
the current state of European public opinion. These projections are produced in
collaboration with TNS Opinion.
For a complete overview, please
refer to the link on the right which also shows the progress of the various
activities under way.