Abstract

The article discusses the findings of a study on the use of web 2.0 during the 2009 European Parliament election campaign. The research was divided into two main phases: (1) An analysis of candidates' websites and use of web 2.0 tools; (2) monitoring of the campaign on Facebook. Although there is a continuing digital divide as regards the presence of candidates online, most politicians have integrated web 2.0 tools into their personal websites. There thus appears to be a strategic appropriation and adaptation of web 2.0, resulting in an hybrid communication model, in between 1.0 and 2.0. By contrast, the campaigning activity on social media seems innovative insofar as it allows for a re-localization of previously centralized and nationally coordinated campaigns.