Messaging on Migration, Ukraine and the EU in the 2024 EP Campaign in Croatia

This study examines how Croatian political actors communicated on Facebook during the 2024 European Parliament election campaign, with a focus on topics that are often subject to disinformation and populist framing: immigration, the war in Ukraine and the European Union. Based on a dataset of 546 Facebook posts published by parties that won seats in the European Parliament - HDZ, SDP, the Homeland Movement and Možemo! - as well as their prominent candidates, the analysis explores narrative patterns and electoral instrumentalization of these topics.

Findings show that immigration and Ukraine were only marginally present in campaign communication. However, where addressed, these topics revealed clear political divides. HDZ employed measured, EU-aligned language, while the Homeland Movement used fear-based
and exclusionary rhetoric portraying migrants and ‘globalist agendas’ as threats to Croatian identity.

Možemo! stood out for using human rights-based, empathetic approach to migration.

The “dangerous others” frame proved highly engaging and was frequently used across party lines. Despite some Eurosceptic tones, no posts called for Croatia’s withdrawal from the EU or eurozone. The findings highlight the attractiveness of identity-driven, protectionist narratives in digital campaigning.

The report was written by Marijana Grbeša i Milica Vučković.