Study of 123K MEP tweets reveals gender gap in political communication

A new study published in Frontiers in Political Science examined whether gender shapes how Members of the European Parliament communicate on X/Twitter. Researchers Larrondo-Ureta, Peña-Fernández, Orbegozo-Terradillos, and Morales-i-Gras analyzed 122,972 tweets posted in 2022 by 620 MEPs using automated content classification, sentiment scoring, and network analysis. The results show clear gender differences: female MEPs tweeted more frequently and appeared more often in promotional content, while male MEPs favored opinion-driven and news-focused messages. Equality and LGBTQ+ issues appeared in 8.6% of women's tweets versus 4.0% of men's, and women's posts carried a more positive overall sentiment.

Despite these differences, the study found that interaction patterns—retweets, mentions, and replies—were only marginally shaped by gender. Instead, the structure of MEP networks on X reflected political-group affiliation and national delegation, meaning MEPs largely interacted within their existing partisan and geographic bubbles. The authors argue that while female MEPs are more vocal on equality topics, their digital presence is still embedded in established political structures. The result is gradual discursive change rather than substantive structural transformation. This research offers a data-driven view of gender dynamics in European politics and highlights how social media both amplifies and constrains political voices.