Anne Goldmann, PhD student and research associate at CAIS in the research program “Digital Democratic Innovations,” examines together with Dr. Kristina Weissenbach (University of Duisburg-Essen), how artificial intelligence (AI) was addressed by political parties in the 2024 European elections, what role it played, and to what extent it is discussed as a future-oriented technology. Their contribution, tilted “New Issue, Old Topics? How Parties Value AI Politics in the EU Elections 2024,” is part of the edited volume “The 2024 European Parliament Elections. A Turn to the Right in the Shadow of War,” edited by Michael Kaeding, Manuel Müller and Alexander Hoppe published by Springer.
Abstract
This chapter examines how artificial intelligence (AI) was addressed by political parties in the 2024 European elections. Drawing on the backdrop of cleavages according to the GAL-TAN dimensions the impact of AI as a new issue is researched. Through a qualitative analysis of party manifestos from major European and national parties in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Poland, as well as expert interviews with Members of the European Parliament, the study finds that AI was not a prominent campaign issue. Instead, it was often framed as a transformative future-oriented technology. Party families varied in their approach: left-leaning parties focused on regulation and societal impacts, while right-leaning parties emphasised economic opportunities. A European consensus emerged around value-based AI principles, including ethics, transparency, and human-centric governance, reflecting alignment with EU values. The chapter concludes that AI’s role in electoral politics remains secondary, reinforcing existing ideological divides rather than disrupting them. Future research should explore longitudinal trends in AI-related party positions and their potential to reshape European political competition. The implementation of the AI Act and further technological developments will be pivotal in shaping this evolving discourse.
The paper is available here:
Goldmann, A. & Weissenbach, K. (2025). New Issue, Old Topics? How Parties Value AI Politics in the EU Elections 2024. In M. Kaeding, M. Müller & A. Hoppe (Eds.), The 2024 European Parliament Elections. A Turn to the Right in the Shadow of War (pp. 143–152). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-89455-8_14