💡 Our analysis of TikTok posts during the campaign reveals a clear pattern—intensified activity leading up to the vote, followed by a steep decline afterward. Campaign season mattered. So did TikTok.

But here’s the paradox: despite this growing presence, only 787 of 2,664 Bundestag candidates had a TikTok account. So we asked: did those candidates use the platform strategically, or was their presence superficial?

🔍 While much research has focused on Facebook and Twitter/X, TikTok's reach in Germany has quietly surpassed both. With 22.9 million users, it now boasts the second-largest TikTok audience in the EU, trailing only France

To sum up, gender issues get a boost around International Women’s Day, and for the rest of the year attention is lower.We find also a steady level of discussion all year long, despite some variability. Gender topics remain a regular part of their online communication.

In Germany, politicians show similar levels of attention to gender issues. In Spain, politicians from social-liberal forces are more attentive to these issues than those from the main conservative party (PP). Members of the far-right populist party, VOX, pay the same attention as progressive forces

In his research comparing Germany and Spain, we see that, YES, the average amount of attention given to gender issues during the week of 8 March is higher than the rest of the year. Also, the attention to these topics is quite stable over time,