19.05.2009

Only a minority of MEPs have fully grasped the potential of using online technologies to help them engage meaningfully with their electorate, a new survey suggests.

The poll, conducted by public affairs agency Fleishman-Hillard, analysed data from 110 MEPs representing 26 member states.

The results show that the vast majority of politicians in the European Parliament still use mass media techniques rather than the personal and participatory media of the future.

However, it also suggests that when new MEPs take their seats later this year, it is likely that many more will start using online communication techniques which provide inexpensive and limitless ways to reach voters.

MEPs from the Party of European Socialists (PES) were found to be using online technologies more than their rivals in the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE).

The research shows that from using Facebook to Flickr, Twitter to Digg, PES members are more likely to be an ‘early adopters’ than members of either of the other two major parties.

The survey concludes that MEPs are using the internet more and more to inform their daily legislative work.

It also indicates that they are using search engines and Wikipedia results to inform their thinking on policy issues, and concludes that those MEPs who use the internet in their own communication are more likely to see the internet as influential in their thinking on policy issues.

Other facts revealed by the study include:

• 75% of MEPs use a personal website extensively.

• 93% of MEPs use search engines on a daily basis to understand legislative issues.

• 51% of MEPs visit blogs once a week or more.

• 62% of MEPs have never heard of Twitter or have no plans to use it.

• MEPs who are active online are more inclined to rate the internet as crucial to helping them form policy positions than those who are less active.

• 33% of MEPs believe online advertising to be either very effective or an effective way to communicate to voters compared to 57% for television advertising.

• MEPs have low recognition of the strengths of search engine marketing.

The full results and analysis of the survey can be read online by clicking on the link below:

http://www.epdigitaltrends.eu/
Full report (PDF - 1.27MB)