World leaders with millions of social media followers

The latest thing in geopolitics and global buzz is digital diplomacy. The world leaders' platforms for influencing humanity is no longer the Washing Post, CNN, or Aljazeera, but Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Telegram (not the one invented by Samuel Morse). Print and broadcast media are out. Social media is in.

We discussed this emerging phenomenon in my lecture here in southern France and we are truly amazed at how prime ministers, presidents, popes, and even rebel leaders take advantage of technology to get their messages across. Imagine the power of information and communication. On top of the list is India Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 126 million Twitter followers and 60.84 million Facebook followers. On Instagram he has 66.93 million, LinkedIn with 5.33 million, and 12.53 million on YouTube. He isn’t very popular, however, on TikTok and Telegram. World leaders find the digital platforms as the latest launching pads for propaganda and psy-war operations.

US President Joe Biden, has 55.69 million Twitter followers, 22.21 million on Facebook, 36.39 million on Instagram including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jin Ping, and Kim Jong-un all tracking his footsteps and watching his latest thoughts. But Biden doesn’t have a significant group of followers on LinkedIn. On YouTube, he has only 700,000, too far behind Modi. Biden is practically unknown on TikTok and Telegram. He has less fixation on Instagram and Twitter than his predecessor, Donald Trump, but Biden is very much in synch with the latest social media frenzy. This phenomenon is a very sharp departure from the old way of thinking that US presidents should never telegraph their thoughts or hint about their whereabouts for security reasons.

France President Emmanuel Macron, has 8.21 million followers on Twitter, 2.71 million followers on LinkedIn, 2.9 million on Tiktok, and 20,343 followers on Telegram. Pope Francis has 55.69 million followers on Twitter, but is not active on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Telegram. But he has 8.9 million followers on Instagram. Popes tweeting would have been unthinkable during the times of Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI and might have been declared a sacrilege during the times of Pope Leo XIII. But today, we have an 85-year-old supreme pontiff on Instagram. Social media is the new pulpit. Instead of a sermon on the mount, it’s now a homily via Twitter.

Indonesia President Joko Widodo has 17.56 million followers on Twitter and 10.75 million on Facebook. On Instagram, he has 46.22 million, and 2.94 million on YouTube. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has 22.62 million followers on Twitter and 10.27 million on Facebook. Erdogan is being followed by 10.02 million on Instagram. He just started on Telegram and is now being followed by 218,784 people. Imagine world leaders of different ideologies and religious beliefs communicating with each other via social media and also conveying vital messages online. No more top-secret or highly-classified information. Social media is the modern weapon and the minds and hearts of people are the new battlefields.

Vladimir Zelensky of Ukraine is reaching out to supporters by Telegram where he is being followed by 1.34 million, the highest in this social media platform. In TikTok, he is being followed by 348,000 people. I suspect that even Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden are watching him via social media. Zelensky has 700,000 followers on YouTube. On Instagram, Zelensky is being followed by no less than 16.91 million followers. Canada's young and dynamic prime minister, Justin Trodeau tops LinkedIn by being followed by a whopping 5.33 million. He has 8.49 million followers on Facebook. Would you believe that even Queen Elizabeth has 903,000 followers on YouTube, and 10.72 million on Instagram? During the times of her father, King George VI, this was unthinkable. She could have lost her crown for such an audacity if this happened in 1950.

Well, King Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has 9.66 million followers on Twitter, Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen has 13.87 million on Facebook, Brazil President Jair Balsonaro has 19.75 million on Instagram, United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Sheik Mohd Bin Rashid has 2.53 million followers on LikedIn, Mexico president Andres Obrador is being followed by 3.23 million on YouTube, and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has 3.3 million followers on TikTok.

The new arena for geopolitics is the internet. Those who refuse to ride on the crest of this new wave will be left behind in the peripheries of the world's consciousness. I wonder how the Philippines' 17th president rates this new game among world leaders. Maybe this is top secret.