Will those with the most TikTok followers become our rulers? Will we elect those who express views and “views” on the platform and brand themselves as “alternative solutions” in a world full of dead ends?
All of this concerns every country where the political system fails to provide solutions and ways forward. In Cyprus, we’ve experienced and continue to experience the “Fidias phenomenon”, which has non-political characteristics. It seems to have whetted others’ appetites.
Last Sunday, in Romania’s presidential election first round, far-right Călin Georgescu emerged victorious, triggering alarm bells in NATO and the EU.
He’ll face Elena Lasconi, leader of the centre-right opposition party, in the second round on December 8.
The winner campaigned through social media. According to Reuters, his campaign videos on TikTok, where he has 250,000 followers, and YouTube focused on the Orthodox Christian Church, family values, his judo achievements (he’s a black belt holder) and his marathon participation.
In a country with the EU’s highest percentage of people at risk of poverty, where inflation is crushing working classes, such views—alas—are gaining ground.
Georgescu, described as pro-Russian, capitalised on war fears and attempted to highlight the ongoing threat to the country from the Ukraine war (Romania shares a 650-kilometre border with Ukraine and hosts NATO military bases).
The far right has clearly gained ground, and if one adds the percentages of Georgescu’s former ally, George Simion, leader of the far-right “Alliance for Romanian Unity” party, who secured 13.87%, the total exceeds 40%.
Evidently, this case exploited a model that’s gaining traction and has become the most important tool for communication and influence: social media, especially TikTok.
“Acceptance” of views is measured in likes. But what does a society at an impasse want? Solutions? Solutions aren’t offered, but it’s apparently comforting to watch Călin Georgescu, for example, attending church, crossing himself, training in judo, and smiling with his family.
That’s how the “package” is built and far-right policies are served.
What have we experienced in Cyprus? A TikTok “master” with limited knowledge and zero connection to politics or reality surpassed traditional parties stuck in the past and their… customs and traditions, securing 72,000 votes without any proposals. Under certain circumstances, he could have secured second place.
TikTok users exercise politics, strengthening their influence as they “read” social reality.
They can, for instance, lead a society towards the far right this way. Whatever’s superficial and often amusing isn’t a choice.
TikTok is nothing but an algorithm “keeping company” with users. Often it entertains, informs, and is obviously a good tool.
Other times, however, it chooses to “feed” users various inappropriate, misleading content.
Călin Georgescu might lose the Romanian election. However, he’s made his mark and shown how an outsider, politically harmless, can secure first place.
Others will obviously imitate this, both within and outside that country. In view of this, Brussels bureaucracy expresses concern, having long since stopped offering solutions; instead, its policies “produce” problems.
NATO is worried too, which, as Macron stated, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “resurrected”.
He’s the same person who, a few years ago, had characterised the Alliance as “brain dead”.
NATO, now worried about Romania, after being… resurrected, is dragging the world into a Third World War, where many satellite countries will play the role of useful idiots.
