In contrast to pro-Europeans, there is no pan-European network linking euroskeptic populist parties. This is the main finding of a study that examined the links between 998 anti-European websites in six countries. And not only are the anti-Europeans isolated on the European level, they also stand alone at home as well.
It does exist: an international community of organizations that want to create a united Europe. "The network of pro-Europeans is not only greater in number, it is also close-knit," says Isabell Hoffmann, project manager at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. In France and Germany, for example, there are 651 pro-EU websites compared to 251anti-EU websites. Not only do the pro-Europeans link to each other's sites, they engage in effective dialogue. They have even formed a pan-European network, which they use to exchange information, ideas, opinions and strategies.
In Germany, 80 percent of the websites evaluated are pro-European, with only 73 out of 349 offering euroskeptic content. The most extensive anti-EU network is run by the AfD party, the second most extensive by the right-wing extremist NPD party. Yet the NPD is much more isolated compared to the AfD, which has more connections within the web and is mentioned more often by Germany's online media than any other party.
The anti-Europeans are isolated on the web
According to the study, there is, conversely, no pan-European network linking groups that reject the idea of a united Europe. For example, only four links exist between the 988 websites in six countries espousing such views. And not only are the anti-Europeans isolated on the European level, they also stand alone at home as well. Neither Marine Le Pen nor Geert Wilders nor Beppe Grillo are thought leaders in the national discourse taking place online in their respective countries. One exception, however, is the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), led by Nigel Farage, which is embedded in a broad network and actively supported by civil society.
In pro-European networks, however, there is a dramatic absence of civil society, whose websites account for only 5.4 percent of all Internet sites evaluated in Germany. The major parties and institutions predominate online and could potentially increase the visibility of Europe's civil society without spending any additional time or money or placing themselves at risk. There are plenty of ideas and initiatives, mostly generated by young Europeans committed to the concept of a united Europe. As a rule, what they need is not money, it is acknowledgement by and links to the websites operated by major institutions and parties.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung study evaluated the websites and online activities of populist, anti-European organizations in six countries: Germany, France, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK. The connections between the sites were assessed and the level of interaction analyzed, with the findings depicted as infographics. For purposes of comparison, pro-European websites in Germany and France were also assessed. A total of 1,638 sites were evaluated. More information is available in the Spotlight Europe newsletter "The Populist Network", which can be downloaded on the right side.
