Engagement or Expression? A Comparative Study of Facebook Politics in Twelve European Countries
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7994518 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Aneta Világi (0000-0001-8993-9417), Pavol Baboš (0000-0002-7536-9027) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 325-347 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Politics in Central Europe (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1801-3422 • E-ISSN: 2787-9038 |
| Publisher | Metropolitan University Prague (PUBLISHER • CZ) |
| DOI | 10.2478/pce-2025-0013 |
| OpenAlex | W4415725121 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 24 |
This article examines how citizens engage with political actors on Facebook across twelve European countries, focusing on the nature and intensity of user interaction. Drawing on a dataset of over 70,000 Facebook comments on posts by national -level political leaders, we conduct a comparative content analysis to categorise digital expressions such as clicktivism, civic engagement or political participation. We also assess how political actors use Facebook to promote interaction and participatory behaviour. Our findings reveal that while Facebook provides a platform for political communication, most user engagement consists of low -effort, expressive behaviours with limited deliberative depth. Substantive forms of civic engagement and political participation are comparatively rare. The analysis also shows that few politicians use Facebook to encourage citizen participation or engage in two -way communication. These findings highlight the discrepancy between the platform’s participatory affordances and their actual utilisation. Rather than driving transformative political participation, Facebook serves primarily as a space for symbolic and affective expression. By mapping variations across countries and political roles, this study contributes to a more grounded understanding of digital engagement in contemporary democracies
Content Analysis
Outside the Bubble
Social media as a catalyst for online deliberation? Exploring the affordances of Facebook and YouTube for political expression
Social Media
The Digital Architectures of Social Media
On-Line Interaction and Why Candidates Avoid It
Spread of (mis)information in social networks
Active vs. Passive Social Media Engagement with Critical Information
Building an Architecture of Participation? Political Parties and Web 2.0 in Britain
Stimulating citizenship or expanding entertainment? The effect of Facebook on adolescent participation
From observation on social media to offline political participation
The double-edged sword of online deliberation
Social media and youth political engagement
Algorithmic Personalization and the Two-Step Flow of Communication
Using social media for supporting engagement in the public sector
Cultural dynamics of digital space
Platform affordances and political participation
Conceptualizing and Measuring Participation in the Age of the Internet
Party soldiers on personal platforms? Politicians’ personalized use of social media
Social media, disinformation, and democracy
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |