Targets and Resources

Abstract

Political parties in Central and Eastern Europe have become increasingly reliant on online tools to mobilize electoral support, a trend that seemed to have been further catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article seeks to understand what factors determine the approaches parties took toward their online campaign. By looking into the online approaches of eight parliamentary-represented political parties in Bulgaria from the three parliamentary elections in 2021, the analysis shows that the type of online campaigns of parties depends, to a large extent, on the way parties use their resources, as well as their target audience. The basis for this conclusion is a qualitative analysis of media reports from the campaigns of the three elections. This finding suggests the need for a closer investigation on the interplay between party organization, use of online tools, and campaign appeals.