The Tweet and Power

Emmanuel Macron’s Digital Diplomacy and the Limits of Soft Power

Authors

  • Bruna Marques Universidade La Salle
  • Pedro De Conto Universidade La Salle

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21530/ci.v21n1.2026.1589

Keywords:

Digital Diplomacy, Soft power, Social Media, Twitter, Emmanuel Macron

Abstract

Digitalization has reshaped diplomacy, turning social networks into arenas of soft power.
This article analyzes how Emmanuel Macron uses X/Twitter to project French influence.
Adopting a qualitative case study with a thematic analysis of 12 tweets (selected from
482 posts in the first half of 2024), it investigates the operationalization of Nye’s power
sources. Findings indicate an intentional yet ambivalent use: the conversion into soft power
is limited by platform dynamics and the gap between online discourse and material (offline)
actions. It concludes that digital diplomacy demands a critical approach to the limitations
of networked state performance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-21

How to Cite

Marques, B., & De Conto, P. (2026). The Tweet and Power: Emmanuel Macron’s Digital Diplomacy and the Limits of Soft Power. Carta Internacional, 21(1), e1589. https://doi.org/10.21530/ci.v21n1.2026.1589

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2026): Carta Internacional - Publicação Contínua

Section

Artigos

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Bruna Marques, Pedro De Conto

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book, for example), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.