Social media platforms play an increasingly important role in election campaigns, as the first round of the Romanian presidential election – in which a NATO-sceptic populist came out on top – amply demonstrates. Our guest is Mariya Gabriel, a former EU Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Innovation, who is well placed to discuss social media and disinformation, particularly in the context of southeastern Europe. We also talk to her about the new EU Commission's announcement of a "Competitiveness Compass" initiative, and the rolling political crisis in Gabriel's home country, Bulgaria.

Asked about Calin Georgescu's win in the first round of the presidential election in Romania, Gabriel says: "Romania is an important state for the European Union and for NATO. But we really need to draw some lessons from the role of social media [in the election]." She notes: "There are questions about the role of TikTok. Speaking as former EU Commissioner on Digital Economy, it is important not to lose digital platforms as channels for citizens to engage with political debate. But we have to make sure that the platforms respect standards, and transparency of the algorithms.”

"Populist demagogues are using fear and disappointment to increase their support," Gabriel goes on. "We have to pay attention to this, because in Bulgaria and in Romania, we have people that are instrumentalising these fields. That's why the other parties that are pro-European, pro-NATO, pro-Ukraine, they have to innovate in their narratives, in their actions, to engage with citizens based on facts and very clear positions. This is an everyday struggle, and we can’t ignore these new realities."

We also discuss the geopolitical direction of the new EU Commission, which was approved by the European Parliament in a vote on November 27. Is President Ursula von der Leyen's "Competitiveness Compass" really a new initiative, or simply a re-packaging of existing commitments?

"What I see is that all the efforts that we made during the last five years are now bearing fruit. There is more and more awareness of how important it is to tackle the innovation gap," Gabriel responds. "Let's not forget that Europe in the 1990s was 25 percent of the global economy, and now it’s 16 percent. I very much welcome the first announced initiative by the European Commission. Of course I would like to now see concrete proposals. What about the budget? What about the cooperation between universities and businesses? What about access to data or skills for small productivity firms, and cooperation with the big corporations? What about the mobility of researchers, and attracting talent in Europe? We need to think bigger. And we need much more rapid action."

In October, Bulgarians were asked to vote for the seventh time in four years because of the failure of the country's political parties to agree on forming a coalition government. We put it to Gabriel that public trust in politics must be rock bottom.

"My message is very clear. Bulgaria does not have time to lose, so it's up to all the politicians to be responsible and to stop wasting time," she answers.

"Unfortunately, at this stage, I don't see real progress. And this is something that makes me fear. What about other political forces, like what happened in Romania, that will use this vacuum to play their games? Because let's not forget, Bulgaria is strategically important for the European Union. We are at the crossroads of so many crucial topics, from energy to food and protection of borders. So I think that, more than ever, we need politicians that take their responsibility [seriously] and work for the benefit of our citizens."

Programme prepared by Luke Brown, Oihana Almandoz and Perrine Desplats