2024 #EUinfluencer top 50 ranking unveiled

Brussels digital agency ZN has announced its 2024 #EUinfluencer ranking, with Politico Brussels Playbook co-author Eddy Wax crowned the most influential social media figure on X in the EU bubble.

The eighth edition of the annual ranking that tracks the impact of EU influencers on platforms such as X, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, and Instagram, was presented at a ceremony in the Belgian capital. 

Heading the leader board for LinkedIn was Alberto Alemanno, an academic, author, public interest lawyer and civic entrepreneur. Meanwhile, Dr Sari Arho Havrén, a specialist in China’s foreign relations, took the top spot in the unified ranking.

ZN CEO Philip Weiss praised the influencers' significant impact on shaping EU communications: “We see social media is increasingly taking a central role in political discourse and these influencers are at the forefront of that drive.”

This year’s competition was dominated by journalists, with 22 of the top 50 listed being part of the press corps. The full list of winners and additional information is available here.

‘Social media upheaval’

The awards were presented amid social media upheaval over the past year that included increased regulations such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

They have increased the pressure on the social landscape to act more responsibly, said Weiss. “Not hedging all your bets on a single social channel is therefore not unwise in this time of change.”

He noted that few influencers had shifted to alternate social platforms. “Although we have seen a significant uptake in political use of social media and the internet overall as a platform of choice, few have jumped to alternative platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky and Threads, as X and LinkedIn continued to be the dominant platforms in the EU Brussels bubble.”

Research by the agency showed that very few MEPs were using an effective channel mix, often focusing all their social efforts on X alone, despite most MEP’s having four social channels on average.

“Political entities must now maintain a consistent and strategic presence across multiple platforms, something we have not yet seen extensively within the bubble despite last year’s upheaval around X,” advised Weiss.

“Video content should also be a top priority due to its unmatched reach and engagement and again we do not see much movement here within Brussels – a missed opportunity.”