‘Heather Grabbe (GB)’

I think, and therefore I’m going to vote – but who’s playing with my head?

The new political battleground is to change how voters think. New methods of manipulating the public mind are superseding age-old techniques of propaganda. When the line between truth and fiction is blurred, how can electorates make democratic political choices based on their real interests and preferences? Beyond overt manipulation, voters’ expectations of politics are changing because they are used to technology bringing them instant results, interaction and personalized service as consumers – but the technology of voting is still that of the 19th century. How can democracy deliver faster and better service to 21st century netizens?

Heather Grabbe is the director of the Open Society European Policy Institute in Brussels. She worked for the European Commission and is a specialist of European issues.