Lakhasly

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IN SHAPING THE IMAGE OF EUROPEAN POLITICIANS (USING THE EXAMPLE OF MACRON)Rodionova M.E. Annotation.Unlike his predecessors, Macron became a "silent president", since the ritual interview in front of journalists on July 14 was canceled, and the practice of interviews without a microphone was discontinued. The experience and communication system of previous colleagues guided Macron from traditional methods of communicating with journalists to other methods, for example, creating visual images in most cases using a television screen: Macron shakes hands with Putin, hosts a military parade, encourages dialogue between irreconcilable enemies, etc. The impact of unpopular reforms on Macron's image Macron faces great difficulties in creating an image within France. This is also due to the fact that populist statements made during the election campaign have already raised doubts about their implementation. However, it is worth noting that elements of populism were present in the strategy of most political figures claiming to be the majority [Bugorkova Macron inherited many problems from Francois Hollande (many measures were included in the budget for 2017 under President Hollande), and the new administration was faced with the need to carry out such unpopular reforms as reducing social support for the population, reducing funding for the army and reforming labor legislation, which have already become a serious test for the young president, who caused a wave of protests in France many cities in France. This is not easy for Macron, as he faces difficult tasks and unpopular measures. Not all of Macron's actions have had a positive effect on his image. For example, to communicate with the armed forces, he came to talk in military uniform, which caused a mixed reaction from the French. Of course, it is necessary to be aware that the adoption of unpopular reforms and measures, as well as image miscalculations, directly affect the decline in Macron's rating and popularity (Fig.1,2). Fig.1. Macron's rating in 2017. Communicology: an electronic scientific journal. 2019. Volume 4. No. 2.Fig.2. Emmanuel Macron's popularity index At the same time, it is necessary to note the work of a professional team of experts in the field of PR and communications, as evidenced by the thoughtfulness of each statement, which may have allowed him to avoid large reputational losses. Conclusions The results of a survey conducted by the Ifop sociological service indicate an increase in approval of the French president's policy (Fig.2). At the beginning of January 2019, Macron's approval rating was 28%, while in December 2018, only 23% of the French supported the head of state. The level of trust increased in the age group 65 years and older, as well as among employees. The survey was conducted online from January 3 to January 4 with the participation of 1,014 people aged 18 years and older. The nature of the fall in Macron's rating does not pose serious threats in the short term, since he is provided with a stable majority in the National Assembly and protected by his close-knit team, competitors are weakened. The downgrade is explained by Macron's attempts to systematically implement a long-term modernization program that requires sacrifices from most social groups. Macron understands the challenges that exist for France in the modern world. In the journal "Communicology: an electronic scientific journal".In the long term, the threats associated with the upcoming presidential elections in 2022 are obvious.In conclusion, an assessment of the rating changes during his presidency is given.Keywords: communication strategy, image, media space,reforms, Internet space.For citation: Rodionova M.E. Communication Strategy in Shaping the Image of European Politicians (using the example of Macron)//Communicology: an electronic scientific journal.Volume 4.2019.2019.2019.2019.

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IN SHAPING THE IMAGE OF EUROPEAN POLITICIANS (USING THE EXAMPLE OF MACRON)Rodionova M.E.
Annotation. The purpose of this article is to consider the peculiarities of the formation of the communication strategy of European politicians (for example, French President E. Macron) during the last pre-election campaign (general elections of heads of state are the most imaginative and technological, they most vividly demonstrate the fierce rivalry of personalities and the struggle of images and subsequent terms of government), as well as some historical examples. Special attention is paid to the change in Macron's communication strategy for interacting with the media, taking into account the experience of his predecessors. In conclusion, an assessment of the rating changes during his presidency is given.Keywords: communication strategy, image, media space,reforms, Internet space.For citation: Rodionova M.E. Communication Strategy in Shaping the Image of European Politicians (using the example of Macron)//Communicology: an electronic scientific journal. 2019. Volume 4. No2.Information about the author: Marina E. Rodionova, Candidate of Sociological Sciences, Ph.D. Deputy Vice-Rector for Projects, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology, History and Philosophy of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Russia, Address: 125468, Moscow, Leningradsky The article was received by the editorial office: 04/29/2019. Accepted for printing:23.06.2019.A competent and effective communication strategy, the skillful use of technologies and communication channels are an integral part of the "power-society" dialog [Sharkov]. At the same time, it should be noted that many communicative concepts and practices that have already established themselves and occupy their "niche" in the political sphere have significant specifics. This applies, first of all, to such concepts as image, which will be emphasized in this article [Sharkov, Alekseev, Kiselyov, Potapchuk].First of all, let's define the concept of image as a stereotypical Western politician or public figure, specially constructed during the target action program; as a holistic, qualitative communication: an electronic scientific journal. 2019. Volume 4. No2. a certain image of a politician, which is stable and reproduced in the mass consciousness in the form of a set of properties and traits, personal qualities taken in the unity of political, ideological, moral, psychological, biographical and external qualities determined by the preferences of the population [Achkasova, Korneeva].The image of political leaders at all levels plays a significant role, not to mention the policy of image formation during the pre-election campaigns of candidates, future heads of state. The formation and effective use of the image of a political leader is becoming particularly relevant due to the need to position the leader in the political space, to establish various channels of communication with society. Personal image recognition is becoming a necessary condition and component of a successful political career today. In European practice, especially during election campaigns and in the formation of an image, strategies are specifically used to move away, for example, from the image and brand of the party to the brand of a personal name, as done, for example, by S. Kurz ("Movement – Sebastian Kurz List").The current trend, including for Europe, is becoming a high degree of personification.
Successful construction of a politician's image is necessary, first of all, to establish a certain sequence in the formation of a politician's image, starting with determining the requirements of the audience, correlating the real qualities of the candidate with the expectations of citizens and ending with the translation of selected characteristics into various kinds of sign systems and event series. A politician should arouse people's trust and sympathy, and for this it is necessary to model the image of a leader who will reflect the expectations of citizens and the electorate, for example, look good in television, have a sufficient fortune, be successful in previous activities, enjoy the reputation of an exemplary family man [Myakotina]. All the more important The timely appearance of this image at one time or another should generate public demand for a new political leader. French sociologists, for example, recorded a request to update the political elite of France, and Emmanuel Macron became the answer to this request [Dubien, Trogneux, Bourmaux.].Communicology: an electronic scientific journal. 2019. Volume 4. No. 2. It is believed that the image of a successful candidate during the election campaign facilitates and simplifies the solution of such tasks of campaigning as: introducing the image of the candidate into the public consciousness of voters; increasing the candidate's fame and attention to his candidacy; forming the candidate's positioning among opponents; winning the sympathy and trust of voters. the trust of voters, the creation of a positive psychological attitude to the perception of any information related to the course of the election campaign in a favorable way for the candidate; neutralization of negative information about the candidate; helping to attract supporters to the team; strengthening confidence that the candidate is the best candidate for the chosen position from among the candidates running in the district; forming an active mood to vote for this candidate. The election of French President Emmanuel Macron immediately became associated with the expectations of active actions by a young and ambitious politician in the direction of strengthening the international authority of his country [Baranov].Macron moved away from traditional methods, from the adopted strategy based on traditional parties and classical programs, preferring a network movement with a populist program in which he combined neoliberal values in the economy with the obligations of the welfare state and social protection of the population.
The need to understand the problems of image-making, as well as the promotion of a politician's image, is determined by the transfer of communications with citizens from traditional media to the Internet space, social networks and the blogosphere. For a political, state or business actor, it seems important to build their positioning and communication activities, promote their image through mastering modern technologies and, above all, information technologies, which are reflected in the Internet environment and its system of interactive services [Efimova, Makoveychuk]. It is the Internet environment that contributes to the creation and promotion of an international image. The formation of an image is possible for both the internal and external environment, in our case for the international community. Communicology: an electronic scientific journal. 2019. Volume 4. No. 2. Positioning in the international environment By creating an international image, Macron's positioning was built similar to that of a monarch, prudent and rational, prone to reconciliation, who judiciously conducts dialogue and participates in the resolution of international conflicts; who hears and takes into account all points of view. This image is also being broadcast for Macron's internal positioning, for the French population. Macron does not neglect the use of social networks, because in the first steps of Macron's election as president of the fifth republic, the word "monarchy" was repeated very often, although since then Macron's image strategy has been somewhat adjusted and the scale of the task set for him to return France to active life. foreign policy was felt [Kochetkova]. A number of meetings held by Macron in the first few months with such heads of state as Putin, Merkel, Trump, Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Saraj, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were aimed at demonstrating one thing: Paris seeks to take a more significant place in the communicative process of resolving international conflicts in order to strive to be more involved in global political processes in general [Loginov, Rutkevich].Meetings with the leaders of the world's largest
Powers such as Putin and Trump have served as important signals to the international community in terms of image and communication strategies that France claims a more significant role in the international space, emphasizing the importance of transatlantic unity as an important element of French foreign policy and paying great attention to the affairs of the European continent. It is also interesting that Macron's team skillfully used historical dates to emphasize the importance and duration of relations with other countries: for example, the meeting with Putin took place in honor of the 300th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and France, and with Trump - in honor of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and France. The entry of the United States into the First World War. Macron's Communication Strategy - The Communications of the Hermit President: an electronic scientific journal. 2019. Volume 4. No. 2. Macron's image was also influenced by foreign policy events, for example, the election of Trump as president of the United States and massive leaks of classified information to the media made adjustments to the behavior model of the newly elected president of France [Bunin]. Initially, the positioning was based on readiness for an open dialogue with society, on greater openness than we saw later. The mistakes of the communication strategy of previous colleagues were also taken into account, for example, Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, who often communicated with the press and allowed journalists to go behind the scenes of the political process, which partly led them to defeat. In this regard, Macron will subsequently abandon the open model of behavior and, conversely, try to communicate less with the press. The restriction of communication with journalists and strict control of relations between senior officials and the media have established a clear distance between the journalistic community and the president. Many experts drew a parallel with Francois Mitterrand, who also distanced himself from journalists, which allowed them both to behave decently in public and prevent the appearance of uncontrollable undesirable moments, avoid large reputational losses, which eventually helped preserve the image of the monarch. Unlike his predecessors, Macron became a "silent president", since the ritual interview in front of journalists on July 14 was canceled, and the practice of interviews without a microphone was discontinued. The experience and communication system of previous colleagues guided Macron from traditional methods of communicating with journalists to other methods, for example, creating visual images in most cases using a television screen: Macron shakes hands with Putin, hosts a military parade, encourages dialogue between irreconcilable enemies, etc. The impact of unpopular reforms on Macron's image Macron faces great difficulties in creating an image within France. This is also due to the fact that populist statements made during the election campaign have already raised doubts about their implementation. However, it is worth noting that elements of populism were present in the strategy of most political figures claiming to be the majority [Bugorkova Macron inherited many problems from Francois Hollande (many measures were included in the budget for 2017 under President Hollande), and the new administration was faced with the need to carry out such unpopular reforms as reducing social support for the population, reducing funding for the army and reforming labor legislation, which have already become a serious test for the young president, who caused a wave of protests in France many cities in France. This is not easy for Macron, as he faces difficult tasks and unpopular measures. Not all of Macron's actions have had a positive effect on his image. For example, to communicate with the armed forces, he came to talk in military uniform, which caused a mixed reaction from the French. Of course, it is necessary to be aware that the adoption of unpopular reforms and measures, as well as image miscalculations, directly affect the decline in Macron's rating and popularity (Fig.1,2). Fig.1.
Macron's rating in 2017. Communicology: an electronic scientific journal. 2019. Volume 4. No. 2.Fig.2. Emmanuel Macron's popularity index At the same time, it is necessary to note the work of a professional team of experts in the field of PR and communications, as evidenced by the thoughtfulness of each statement, which may have allowed him to avoid large reputational losses. Conclusions The results of a survey conducted by the Ifop sociological service indicate an increase in approval of the French president's policy (Fig.2). At the beginning of January 2019, Macron's approval rating was 28%, while in December 2018, only 23% of the French supported the head of state. The level of trust increased in the age group 65 years and older, as well as among employees. The survey was conducted online from January 3 to January 4 with the participation of 1,014 people aged 18 years and older. The nature of the fall in Macron's rating does not pose serious threats in the short term, since he is provided with a stable majority in the National Assembly and protected by his close-knit team, competitors are weakened. The downgrade is explained by Macron's attempts to systematically implement a long-term modernization program that requires sacrifices from most social groups. Macron understands the challenges that exist for France in the modern world. In the journal "Communicology: an electronic scientific journal". 2019. Volume 4. No. 2.
In the long term, the threats associated with the upcoming presidential elections in 2022 are obvious.