Saturday

9th Dec 2023

EPP experiments with interactive web TV channel

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) has launched 'DialogueTV', a sophisticated experiment in online video and interactive web TV. The new channel aims to exploit the increasing popularity of video clips on the internet to outreach to citizens ahead of the 2009 European parliamentary elections.

A number of European political groupings have played around with multimedia on their websites or uploading content to YouTube, but Dialogue TV is the first stand-alone webTV channel with a dedicated staff and news presenters.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • European politicians are experimenting with online video (Photo: EUobserver)

"We are living in an audiovisual era and the EPP wishes to use all technologies available, especially the internet, to get closer to its citizens," said Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, EPP secretary-general.

Where other political online clips can often be of quite low video quality, the service offers a series of high-definition news-style video blurbs introduced by an EPP news presenter exploring a range of topics coming from a centre-right perspective.

Initially the subjects will focus on climate change, immigration, security, demographic change and the digital economy.

EUobserver spoke to the EPP's secretary-general to see what inspired the EPP to get their hands on the latest internet video technologies.

"We have to put an end to all these long, boring documents and long, boring press conferences that we are used to here in Brussels," said Mr Lopez-Isturiz. "We need instead short, clear messages that people can relate to and understand, using the language of the people."

"[Our online video is] not just about young people, it's for everyone, but it is true that they are the generation that needs to be converted to the European ideal," said the centre-right leader. "Earlier generations went through war or can at least remember its effects and so accepted naturally all the building of the European institutions without question."

"The new generations aren't like that. The European ideal needs to be put to them afresh."

One normally thinks of the left or centre-left as being first to embrace new media technologies, so it may come as something of a surprise that the EPP has stolen a march on its rival European parties in this area. However, the EPP is very much impressed by what politicians have done with web video across the political divide in the United States, particularly within the Democratic primaries.

"US political parties can be a real model for the communication work they're doing online. The primaries have shown how to use online video as an example to be followed," said Mr Lopez-Isturiz. "They're a good proving ground for these new techniques."

Barack Obama's internet campaigning and use of video has been credited in many quarters as enabling him to continue to campaign with ease following the dead-heat results of 'Super-Tuesday', where his rival Hillary Clinton has run into difficulties, especially with fundraising.

The EPP are not the only political grouping in the parliament experimenting with internet video.

"Actually, [DialogueTV] sounds great!" said Richard O'Ferrall, the Greens' spokesperson. "But we only have one person who's able to work on our multimedia section on our website. We've got a total of five people working on all our press activities, so we're a bit of a small team for that."

The Greens do however upload video of major events, such as the Bali climate change conference. "There, we had daily video uploads. It wasn't a video-blog as such, but was a visual documentation of the process."

The Liberals in the parliament too are slightly envious of the EPP's new project.

"We can't really afford to do the intense online video stuff that the EPP are doing," said Neil Corlett, spokesperson for ALDE, echoing the comments from the Greens. "They have a lot more money than us."

Nonetheless, Mr Corlett was quite positive about the future of online video for European politics.

"Most of the political groupings in the parliament have been experimenting with these new technologies in order to reach out to a wider audience, not just online video, but audio – such as podcasting – too," he said. "Everyone's sort of been feeling their way forward because no one knows exactly how web TV is going to take off."

The liberals, meanwhile, has been experimenting with YouTube, the online video portal. "We do however use YouTube a lot, simply because it's watched a lot," said Mr Corlett. "People do searches for topics on YouTube and come across things from us that they otherwise would never have found unless they knew to directly come to the ALDE website."

"People stumble across a video on a particular issue, whether it's Tibet or Iran or the Beijing Olympics and there's probably a video by some MEP, which is a great entry point for politics."

He also explained bluntly why online video was necessary for European politicians: "Let's be honest with ourselves, most people won't out of choice directly visit a political party's website, will they?"

Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies

Disruption at the Polish-Ukrainian border by disaffected Polish truckers is escalating, potentially affecting delivery of military aid to Ukraine. A Polish request to reintroduce permits for Ukrainian drivers has been described as "a shot to the head" during war.

Brussels denies having no 'concern' on Spain's amnesty law

The Spanish government remains secretive about its negotiations with pro-independence Catalans, but claims the EU Commission has "zero concerns" about their proposed amnesty law for Catalan separatists. The EU executive denies that.

Interview

Why populism appeals to less brainy EU voters

People who voted for Brexit tended to be less clever, research shows, in findings that also shed light on the appeal of EU populists, such as Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who won elections this week.

Analysis

How Wilders' Dutch extremism goes way beyond Islamophobia

Without losing sight of his pervasive Islamophobia, it is essential to note Geert Wilders' far-right extremism extends to other issues that could drastically alter the nature of Dutch politics — and end its often constructive role in advancing EU policies.

Opinion

Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence

What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.

Opinion

Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?

Six months ahead of the EU elections, knocking an 'elitist' climate agenda is looking like a vote-winner to some. Saving the Green Deal and the EU's climate ambitions starts with listening to Europeans who are struggling to make ends meet.

Latest News

  1. How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
  2. Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
  3. Sudanese fleeing violence find no haven in Egypt or EU
  4. How should EU reform the humanitarian aid system?
  5. EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
  6. EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
  7. Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
  8. Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us