Just a young people thing?

Members of the National Assembly are well aware of the importance of this sometimes controversial communication tool. In fact, 59% are present on the platform and the younger the MP, the more likely they are to be active TikTok users. For instance, 86.3% of MPs under 35 are active on TikTok, compared to 76.4% of those aged 35–44, 53.6% of those aged 45–59, and just 38.4% of those over 60.

A tool favored by populists

Décideurs Magazine had already shown how X (formerly Twitter) is heavily used by populist parties. TikTok is used in a similar — albeit less intense — way. The two political groups most present on the platform are La France Insoumise (LFI), with 88.7% of its MPs having an account, and Rassemblement National (RN), at 69%.

More moderate groups — typically made up of older local elected officials than the ranks of Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) and Marine Le Pen (RN) use TikTok far less. For example, only 30% of LIOT MPs, 41.7% of MoDem, 45% of the Republican Right, 47% of the EPR group, and 51% of Horizons MPs have an account.

For LFI and RN, TikTok is a powerful tool for appealing to young people. And it works at the ballot box: in the first round of the 2022 presidential election, Jean-Luc Mélenchon won 31% of the vote among those under 25, and Marine Le Pen won 26%. Together, the two populist candidates captured nearly 6 out of 10 young voters.

Who are the most active Members of Parliament?

In the top 10 most active MPs on TikTok, LFI holds 8 of the 10 spots. Some are also active on other social media platforms, notably Antoine Léaument the movement’s « digital guy, » Louis Boyard, and to a lesser extent, Alma Dufour, Carlos Martens Bilongo, and François Piquemal. Pierre-Yves Cadalen is more of a TikTok specialist, as are his colleague Maxime Laisney and RN member Aurélien Dutremble — all of whom have limited influence on X, Instagram, or in traditional media. Éric Ciotti, a symbol of the old political guard, still manages to make it into the top 10.

Who are the most followed MPs?

Once again, LFI stands out in the ranking of the most followed MPs on TikTok, occupying 6 out of the top 10 spots. Mathilde Panot and Louis Boyard take second and third place respectively, both with over a million followers. They’re narrowly edged out by Marine Le Pen, who benefits from greater mainstream recognition. Other high-ranking LFI members include Antoine Léaument, David Guiraud, Sébastien Delogu, and Manuel Bompard.

Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a young RN MP from the Somme, has also embraced TikTok, regularly posting punchy soundbites that resonate with younger audiences. Gabriel Attal and François Hollande also appear in this top list, likely boosted by their national stature, which enhances both their notoriety and their follower count.

And outside the National Assembly?

The TikTok phenomenon isn’t limited to the National Assembly. Other political figures have also established a strong presence on the platform. Given his status, Emmanuel Macron is clearly leading the way, boasting 6 million followers. The Élysée’s communications team has gone all in, publishing 108 posts over the course of a year. If Emmanuel Macron were an MP, he would rank as the 11th most active user.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, like American politician Bernie Sanders, follows the strategy of “the old man speaking to the youth.” In addition to visiting universities and mentoring the next generation through his La Boétie Institute, he also shows up on TikTok, where he has 2.6 million followers despite posting only 40 videos over 12 months.

Finally, it’s impossible to talk about TikTok without mentioning Jordan Bardella. The potential successor to Marine Le Pen is either mocked or envied for his influence on the platform. Communications genius? Or proof of superficiality? Journalists, politicians, and citizens are divided. The Member of the European Parliament has 2.1 million followers, a million more than Marine Le Pen. With 184 posts in one year, he is France’s most TikTok-addicted political figure.

Jordan Bardella has turned TikTok into a tool for his political ambitions.

One striking indicator of his influence: he has received more likes than Emmanuel Macron. His TikTok popularity mirrors his electoral performance among young voters. As lead candidate in the 2024 European elections, he secured 32% of the under-25 vote!

It’s worth noting that some major political figures are absent from TikTok. That’s the case for Michel Barnier, his successor François Bayrou, as well as Manuel Valls and Nicolas Sarkozy. Known for her sharp wit and soundbites, Rachida Dati has yet to seriously engage with the platform, where she only has 50,000 followers. Bruno Retailleau, who dreams of a national future and broader support base, is only just starting to experiment with TikTok — and currently has just 30,500 followers.

Find out the original study here.

Lucas Jakubowicz

L’article French Politicians are Obsessed with TikTok est apparu en premier sur JIN, Agency in Europe (France, UK, Germany...).

Today, however, power seems to be caught up in a culture of immediacy. The performative deluge of rhetoric in the first 100 hours of Donald Trump’s presidency, as well as J.D. Vance’s speech in Munich, reveal a preference for urgency. According to this new American leadership, there is an imperative to assert dominance, to impose its agenda, whether political, economic, technological, or geopolitical, at breakneck speed.

The politics of speed

Disrupting the intellectual comfort of the “End of History”, transactional leadership has found its way into the gaps of liberal democracy, which had long remained complacent in an almost aristocratic vision of liberalism. The new modulus operandi is to act swiftly and decisively on unfolding events without restraint, care, or elegance.

Breaking with the virtue of moderation (which Albert Camus saw as an essential ethic for European pluralism), Trump cuts the Gordian knot of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world–one that seems impossible to control. For him, anything is possible if one catches the world off guard and reduces political action to a business transaction.

The strategy is to become the director of a never-ending spectacle. This involves blending different communication techniques: Tony Blair’s agenda-setting tactics, linguistic triangulation to blur ideological lines, and the normalization of performative rhetoric to shape reality itself. 

Trumpist rhetoric primarily seeks narrative victories because everything depends on one core strategy: the rapid internalization of a new American imperialism. This is a form of narrative “blitsscaling”–a concept borrowed from the tech world, where speed is prioritized to dominate vast markets.

A possible backlash?

Mario Draghis’ February 19 speech in Brussels, the recent Macron-Trump meeting over Ukraine peace talks, and Friedrich Merz’s push for European defense autonomy all indicate that Europe has taken note of the Trumpist playbook.

But in the face of the dangers and violence of political speed, can Europe still hold on to its “quiet strength” when everything seems to be on the verge of collapse? On one side, we see a global show of American moral and military rearmament; on the other, Europe as the guardian of balance. However, resisting also means not rushing. It means knowing when to act, when to stay silent, when to prepare. Choosing the right timing across short-term, structural, and long-term scales.

Faced with an endless flood of information thrown around to control every agenda, the philosophy of Zeno, with its emphasis on moral fortitude, resilience, and constancy, might prove useful.

Already, words like “shutdown” and “recession” are surfacing in the American debate. Let’s not forget: Trump’s political theater is also playing out internally. Just one month after his inauguration, an Ipsos-Reuters poll already showed mixed American public opinion, particularly regarding the economy. Disruptions, uncertainties; this narrative of speed and dominance creates vulnerabilities that could ultimately turn against the United States.

Camille Fumard, Strategy Consultant & Special Advisor to President Edouard Fillias, JIN agency.

L’article The New American Political Playbook: Speed, Spectacle, and the Risk They Create est apparu en premier sur JIN, Agency in Europe (France, UK, Germany...).

Yet, amid this chaos, businesses appear surprisingly as beacons of stability. According to a recent 2024 study by Odoxa, 56% of French people now believe that businesses are the most capable of driving change. This expectation places corporate leaders in a key position: they are seen both as agents of transformation and as guiding figures for a society searching for direction.

However, this trust appears betrayed by a disconnect between business leaders’ concerns and public opinion. In fact, 60% of corporate leaders’ social media posts focus on environmental issues. While this topic is undeniably important, it ranks only ninth among the issues most discussed by the French public. Instead, online debates revolve around pressing topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fight against the far right, and the taxation of superprofits.

So why, in an era that demands clear commitments to build trust, does the communication from business leaders seem to lack resonance?

Breaking free from corporate imperatives

Despite what is often suggested on social media, businesses are far from being universally despised. However, the way corporate leaders communicate online amplifies the perception of detachment. Their messages, often highly conventional, appear carefully crafted to align with institutional communication constraints or regulatory requirements.

A staggering 98% of executives’ posts adopt a positive, even overly positive tone, avoiding any strong stances. But this excessive optimism makes their statements feel hollow, stripping them of the impact needed to foster genuine engagement. In a world craving authenticity and sincere commitment, such sanitized messaging fails to connect.

Giving leaders back their voice by listening

A company, through the voice of its leader, must take action in response to civil society’s demands. So how can business leaders reinvent themselves to transcend corporate constraints and truly engage with contemporary concerns?

First, by addressing public expectations beyond economic or regulatory needs. French citizens want businesses to make real commitments, not just in response to financial imperatives. This trust places a greater responsibility on corporate leaders to demonstrate tangible actions that benefit society, whether to external audiences such as customers, partners, and civil society, or internal ones such as employees, who increasingly seek purpose-driven workplaces.

Second, by engaging in dialogue with communities. Communication is not just about broadcasting information in a one-way, top-down manner. Platforms like LinkedIn offer a unique opportunity to create authentic, constructive exchanges with various communities. Engaging in conversations within a company’s digital ecosystem helps leaders strengthen their role in society, showing that they respond to community expectations rather than simply following media-driven timelines.

Third, by choosing the right battles. No company can solve all the world’s problems, and no leader should attempt to comment on every issue. Instead, leaders should carefully select causes aligned with their company’s mission and champion them with clarity, relevance, and true engagement. A leader’s activism should be identifiable and legitimate, focused on issues where their voice and company can make a tangible impact.

The end of corporate-speak for business leaders

The era of corporate-style communication from executives is over. In a world where expectations for businesses have never been higher, leaders have a historic opportunity: to become true agents of change, aligned with public aspirations and fostering meaningful dialogue. We must not let this opportunity slip away.

Edouard Fillias, CEO of JIN agency, and Anne Le Brouster, Managing Director of the Leadership team at JIN

L’article Talking Without Meaning: Putting an End to Empty Corporate Speak from Executives est apparu en premier sur JIN, Agency in Europe (France, UK, Germany...).