KAS MP SOE

(from left) Dr. Stefan Hennewig, Head of Internal Management, CDU; Christian Spahr, Head of KAS Media Program South East Europe; Dr. Klaus Schüler, General Manager, CDU; Christian Echle, KAS Media Programme Subsahara-Africa and Frank Priess, Deputy Head European/International Cooperation, KAS

KAS MP SOE

(from left) Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, Head of KAS country office Serbia and Montenegro; Frank Priess, Deputy Head European/International Cooperation, KAS; Christian Spahr, Head of KAS Media Program South East Europe and Christian Echle, Head of KAS Media Programme Subsahara-Africa

KAS MP SOE

Participants and speakers at the first edition of "E-lection Bridge" in South East Europe

Relevant, competent and authentic – this is how political parties must present themselves in election campaigns, according to the Federal Manager of the CDU, Dr. Klaus Schüler. He was the keynote speaker of a workshop on the topic of campaigning for communications experts of political parties from South East Europe. Meeting in Belgrade, 15 participants from 11 countries founded a Network to be called the "E-lection Bridge South East Europe".

Personalisation, visualisation and social media are just a few of the trends with which political parties have to confront in planning their election campaigns. In South East Europe there is the additional challenge of the mostly highly polarised media landscape. Newspapers and broadcasting channels seldom offer balanced reporting. Opposition parties above all complain about insufficient access to the media. From 6th to 8th July, experts invited by the KAS Media Program South East Europe discussed how political content could be communicated successfully under these conditions.

More in the event report.