Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20901/an.23.08
Within but Against the EU: Eurosceptic Far-Right Discourses on Croatian TikTok and Instagram Feeds in the 2024 European Parliament Elections
Matej Mikašinović-Komšo
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Leon Cvrtila
; Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ana Matan
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The 2024 European Parliament elections unfolded amid the rise of Eurosceptic far-right parties, persistent Eurosceptic voter grievances, and a social media environment shaped by algorithmic logics. This paper examines how the EU was discursively constructed within the social media environment encountered by a user with far-right leanings during the EP campaign, focusing on how Eurosceptic far-right candidates reconcile opposing the EU while seeking positions within its institutions. Using thematic analysis of algorithmically curated content on TikTok and Instagram within the simulated feed of a Croatian user, this study shows how Eurosceptic
content can quickly dominate one’s information environment. It also identifies a narrative that frames the EU as a source of „globalist oppression” while presenting far-right politicians as defenders of the nation. This „within the EU but against it” logic allows Eurosceptic actors to criticize the EU while legitimizing far-right voter and candidate participation in EU institutions and elections, with the goal of reshaping the EU according to the desires of the „oft ignored and unheard” citizens.
Keywords
European Parliament elections; Euroscepticism; social media platforms; Instagram; TikTok; algorithmic feeds; far-right
Hrčak ID:
351168
URI
Publication date:
22.9.2026.
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