Why Did the Dutch Vote the Way They Did?

Just two years after the last election — and following the collapse of the governing coalition — Dutch voters were once again called to the ballot box. But this time, the political landscape looked quite different. With AI writing content, social media platforms banning political ads in the EU, and voters getting news and political information from sources that didn’t even exist a few years ago, the 2025 elections became a real-time experiment in political communication. Voters are navigating an increasingly complex digital world to form their opinions. 

So, what actually influenced this year’s vote? How do technologies like AI and platforms like TikTok or Instagram shape public debate? Can digital tools sway political opinion — or even manipulate voters? 

In this event we will explore what has changed — and what hasn’t — in how political parties communicate, how media ecosystems affect polarization, and how digital technologies influence the way voters think, decide, and vote. 

About the speakers

Fabio Votta is a post-doctoral researcher at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) and the Center for Politics & Communication (CPC). He specializes in digital election campaigns, specifically data-driven campaigning and political microtargeting. Fabio is particularly interested in how algorithms shape the delivery of political messages , such as AI-generated images on social media platforms.

Linda Bos is an Associate Professor at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) and the Center for Politics & Communication (CPC). She is an expert in the broad field of populist political communication, studying the role of communication in the success of populist parties. Her broader research interests include electoral behavior, election campaigns, media use, media effects, and political communication in general.

Katjana Gattermann is an Associate Professor at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) the Center for Politics & Communication (CPC). Her work addresses questions that concern the relationship between representatives and represented, and particularly the linking role of the media in that relationship. She studies the personalization of politics, and how media cover election campaigns and report about the „winners“ and “losers“.

Damian Trilling is Professor of Journalism Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and an associated researcher at the Center for Politics & Communication (CPC). He is an expert on how people consume and share the news, studying how citizens keep up and engage with news and current affairs in the current media environment, shaped by social media and technical innovations.

Ulrike Klinger (moderator) is Professor of Political Communication and Journalism at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) the Center for Politics & Communication (CPC). Her research centers on campaigning and the role of digital technologies in democratic societies and public discourse, such as algorithms, social media platforms, or artificial intelligence.

Rachid Azrout is an Assistant Professor at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) the Center for Politics & Communication (CPC). His research interests mainly lie on the interplay of media exposure and public opinion, and studies this in relation to topics as immigration, the European Union, polarisation and party politics. Rachid has studied the Dutch elections extensively and served as an election expert on NOS.