Key facts
- The European Council will not have content creators at its upcoming summit.
- EU countries did not nominate any social media influencers for the summit.
- Logistical problems and budget constraints were cited as reasons for not participating.
- Some diplomats expressed a lack of appetite for the initiative.
- Influencers were to be chosen by EU countries and granted access to certain areas of the Council's HQ.
- Influencers would be banned from asking ministers and leaders questions and would be accompanied by staff.
The European Council's initiative to involve social media influencers in covering its leaders' summits has stalled, with no content creators set to attend the upcoming meeting on October 15-16. The plan, aimed at reaching new audiences about Council activities, relied on EU member states to select and invite influencers.
However, six EU diplomats revealed to POLITICO's EU Influence newsletter that their countries had not put forward any candidates. Reasons cited included logistical challenges, budget constraints, and a general lack of enthusiasm for the program. One diplomat noted that if a leader wanted an influencer, they would bring one independently, negating the need for the Council's involvement.