Strategic Communication and Democratic Resilience in the European Union: Journalism, Citizens and the Geopolitics of Narrative

The European Union, like other liberal democracies around the world, is currently undergoing a profound transformation of its communication ecosystem. The proliferation of populist discourse, growing disinformation, social polarisation, and the fragmentation of the digital public sphere have shaped a scenario in which institutional credibility and social cohesion are at stake. This Special Issue brings together fourteen original studies that explore the challenges of political, institutional and journalistic communication in Europe within this context of geopolitical, media and social crisis, with particular attention to the role of digital platforms, emotional narratives, disinformation dynamics, and the active (or passive) role of citizens.

The fourteen articles offer a rigorous and multifaceted examination of the current communicative landscape of the European Union, at a time when the battle over narratives is also a battle for democracy. EU institutions face the challenge of communicating effectively in a hyper-fragmented environment; journalism must rethink its role under pressure from disinformation and political polarisation; and citizens need critical tools to navigate a digital sphere saturated with emotion, polarising narratives, and partial truths.

If Europe is to maintain its democratic, cohesive, and pluralistic project, it must win the battle for narrative. Regulatory measures or information campaigns alone are not enough. A comprehensive communication strategy is required—one that places institutions at the centre of the narrative and ensures that their messages reach the media and, ultimately, the public.

This Special Issue forms part of the R+D project RED2022-134652-T, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The volume presents multidisciplinary research examining the construction, dissemination, and reception of strategic narratives within the European public sphere. The analysis is structured around three central actors: European institutions, journalism, and citizens.

1. The European Union as a Communicative and Strategic Actor

Several articles explore how the EU seeks to project a coherent and effective discourse to citizens, especially during crises such as the war in Ukraine. The article “European Institutional Discourse Concerning the Russian Invasion of Ukraine on the Social Network X” analyses the communication strategies deployed by the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, and the EEAS on X (formerly Twitter) during the first year of the conflict. It finds coherence in their narratives but also a notable lack of genuine interaction with civil society and the media (Ruiz-Incertis & Tuñón-Navarro, 2024).

The media’s capacity to either strengthen or undermine this institutional image is also examined. “Media Portrayal of EU Commission and Its Leaders: A Content Analysis of Spanish Press (1976–2024)” provides a longitudinal analysis of how the Spanish press has covered the Commission and its presidents, revealing a tendency towards negativity, influenced by the political leanings of the media outlets and national governments (Gallardo-Agudo et al., 2024).

Similarly, “Cross-Border Communication Strategies: An Approach to Spanish Euroregions on Twitter (X)” investigates how Spanish border regions communicate their membership of Euroregions. The study concludes that, rather than promoting a shared European identity, official accounts tend to focus on institutional self-promotion and the management of European funds, overlooking the opportunity to foster a deeper sense of integration (Rivas-de-Roca et al., 2025).

In the realm of digital regulation, “The Role of Requests for Information in Governing Digital Platforms Under the Digital Services Act: The Case of X” discusses the implementation of the EU’s Digital Services Act through a case study of proceedings against the X platform. The article raises concerns over the opacity of the oversight process and the lack of public transparency in ongoing investigations, which undermines democratic accountability (Fabbri, 2025).

2. Journalism and Media in a Fragmented Digital Ecosystem

Another key focus of this Reprint is the role of journalism as a democratic mediator in an environment shaped by disinformation and polarisation. In “The Factuality of News on Twitter According to Digital Qualified Audiences: Expectations, Perceptions, and Divergences with Journalism Considerations”, the authors examine how highly educated young Europeans assess the truthfulness of news content, revealing a gap between their expectations of journalistic quality and the realities of content shared on social media (Rojas Torrijos & Garrote Fuentes, 2025).

Media coverage is also analysed from a rhetorical and linguistic perspective in “Emotionalization of the 2021–2022 Global Energy Crisis Coverage: Analysing the Rhetorical Appeals as Manipulation Means in the Mainstream Media”. This article studies how British and American outlets used emotional appeals to frame the global energy crisis, contributing to polarised public perceptions of fossil fuels versus renewables (Teneva, 2025).

The tension between freedom of expression and institutional responsibility is explored in “Public Figures and Social Media from a Freedom of Expression Viewpoint in the Recent U.S. and EU Jurisdiction”, which compares the regulatory frameworks in the United States and the European Union regarding political discourse on social media, highlighting implications for digital governance and democratic debate (Gosztonyi et al., 2025).

Meanwhile, “Public Service Media and Platformization: What Role Does EU Regulation Play?” reflects on the impact of global platforms on public service media in Europe. It assesses the EU’s regulatory capacity to preserve their independence and ensure they fulfil their democratic mandate amid political pressures and funding challenges (Dragomir et al., 2024).

3. Digital Citizenship, Populism, and Disinformation

The article “A Scathing Indictment: How European Opinion Leaders Framed Putin’s Aggression Against Ukraine” analyses more than 1000 opinion pieces from major European newspapers and reveals a shift towards more negative and moralising framings of Putin’s actions in 2022 compared to 2014. This study illustrates how opinion leaders contribute to the construction of external enemies and shape collective identities in times of crisis (Franch et al., 2025).

Far-right communication strategies are the focus of “Attracting the Vote on TikTok: Far-Right Parties’ Emotional Communication Strategies in the 2024 European Elections”, which analyses 472 videos by far-right leaders across Europe. The study identifies a dual approach that combines positive emotions (hope, ambition) with negative ones (fear, uncertainty), proving highly effective in generating engagement, especially among younger audiences (Cartes-Barroso et al., 2025).

In a similar vein, “Populist Leaders as Gatekeepers: André Ventura Uses News to Legitimize the Discourse” examines how the Portuguese politician André Ventura uses headlines from traditional media to reinforce nationalist and anti-immigration rhetoric on X, constructing a polarised worldview through the dichotomy of “us” versus “them” (Baptista et al., 2024).

From an academic standpoint, “Beyond Information Warfare: Exploring Fact-Checking Research About the Russia–Ukraine War” offers a review of scholarly literature on fact-checking initiatives during the war, concluding that media literacy and citizen journalism are vital tools for verifying information in conflict settings (Morais et al., 2025).

Finally, “Digital Political Communication in the European Parliament: A Comparative Analysis of Threads and X During the 2024 Elections” compares how the European Parliament adapted its communication strategies across different platforms. The study reveals significant differences in content, format and engagement, reflecting the fragmented nature of institutional communication in the digital age (Velasco Molpeceres et al., 2025).

4. Final Reflections

Together, these contributions offer a pluralistic and rigorous overview of the communication challenges currently facing the European Union. Through diverse but complementary perspectives, the articles examine issues that affect institutions, the media, and citizens alike. Their insights are valuable not only to researchers, but also to communication professionals, policymakers, and civil society actors seeking to understand—and engage with—the complex processes involved in shaping Europe’s democratic narratives in a global context marked by uncertainty, polarisation, and digital transformation.