Nina Skocak's videos on TikTok are racking up hundreds of thousands of views and the young make-up and vintage fashion expert hopes her popularity will win her a seat in the European Parliament on June 9.
Skocak heads Croatia's first independent Generation Z list, which consists of 12 candidates aged between 19 and 30, AFP reports.
"It's an experiment to see if it's even possible, since no one has done it before," the influencer.
The 26-year-old's experience goes far beyond fashion and cosmetics, with which she delights her quarter of a million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
A graduate in journalism and political science with a master's degree in European politics, she starts work as an intern at the European Parliament in 2022.
She now works on promoting the European Horizon research program for scientists trying to make big breakthroughs.
Skocak announced her candidacy on social media and her followers helped her quickly gather the 5,000 signatures needed to register.
"We didn't use traditional methods," she said.
"Instead, we went to coffee shops and bars and collected signatures there. People came to have a drink and give us their signature," the influencer said.
Eventually, her list of Generation Z representatives garnered 8,500 signatures, their first big success.
"Young people today prefer their own channels to traditional party structures. We need to create different platforms and methods to engage them," Skocak added.
Nina Skocak is not the first to try out the new campaigning methods, says Mariana Grbesa, professor of political science at the University of Zagreb.
"There will be more cases like this because the main message to young people is: 'We don't want you to talk about us, we want you to talk to us'," she said.
For Grbesa, the perception that young people are not interested in politics is only partly true.
"They are not interested in politics in the way that politicians talk to them," she insisted.
Skocak - who has single-digit poll numbers - said her campaign is as much about education as it is about getting elected.
Her videos attempt to explain the electoral process and urge her followers to participate in shaping the political landscape.
In the comments, many of her followers thank her for finally explaining how it all works, and say that thanks to her, they'll be sure to vote for the first time.
"Skocak speaks the language that young people speak. This is a big plus. She's trying to mobilize them," Grbesa stressed
According to surveys, young Croats have one of the lowest levels of understanding of EU policies.
71% of them say they understand little or nothing about the EU, while the EU average is 55%, according to a Eurobarometer express survey for the European Parliament in 2021.
Skocak believes that young people are interested in European elections but are disillusioned with traditional politics and need some encouragement.
Currently, only three MEPs are under the age of 30 and Skocak sees a need for change.
"Young people bring a different perspective to policy making. This is definitely missing," she argues.
Her Generation Z list, consisting of seven women and five men, is the youngest in the European elections.
Their agenda focuses on youth participation in politics, internet safety, sustainable policies and women's rights.
Determined to show that young people, especially young women, have a place in politics, Nina's independent list aims to oppose right-wing changes in Croatian politics.
They advocate lowering the voting age to 16 and introducing youth quotas in European elections.
Croatia, which joined the EU in 2012, will elect 12 MEPs on 9 June.
The influencer said social media can mobilize people in just one day.
"Maybe only a hundred people will vote, maybe a hundred thousand," she said. | BGNES
