The SPD has secured the internet address cdu.eu, which now redirects to the SPD’s campaign for the European elections. The move is seen as an attempt by the Social Democrats to mock the digital oversight of the Christian Democrats. Upon entering cdu.eu in a browser, users are greeted with an image of SPD lead candidate for the European elections, Katarina Barley, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with the slogan “Kein Weg führt an uns vorbei” (No way leads past us). After a few seconds, the page directs to the SPD’s campaign website. The SPD also highlighted this tactic on Instagram, featuring Barley and Scholz with the caption “We ensure peace and jobs” and a swipe at the CDU for not securing the cdu.eu domain.
The CDU has not commented on the SPD’s maneuver, but a spokesperson confirmed that the CDU’s campaign website domain is europawahl.cdu.de. This is not the first time the SPD has made such a move, as in 2018 they secured the slogan “Söder macht’s” (Söder does it) for the Bavarian election campaign. The CSU had used this slogan to promote Markus Söder for Minister-President. Additionally, prior to the 2023 repeat of the Berlin state election, the CDU reserved internet domains with campaign slogans from the Greens and FDP.
This move by the SPD reflects a trend of political parties securing internet domains as part of their campaign tactics. By redirecting cdu.eu to their own campaign website, the SPD is not only ensuring that users looking for CDU content encounter their own messaging, but also drawing attention to what they perceive as a misstep by their opponents. The use of social media platforms like Instagram to highlight this tactic further emphasizes the importance of digital campaigning in modern elections.
The rivalry between the SPD and CDU in the European election campaign is being played out not only on traditional platforms but also in the digital sphere. Securing key internet addresses and utilizing them to redirect users to their own content is a strategic move by the SPD to gain an edge over their political opponents. The CDU’s failure to secure the cdu.eu domain has allowed the SPD to capitalize on this oversight and further promote their message to potential voters.
As the European elections draw nearer, political parties are ramping up their campaign efforts both online and offline. The SPD’s use of digital tactics like securing the cdu.eu domain demonstrates their willingness to innovate and exploit any advantage they can find in the competitive arena of politics. With the CDU remaining silent on the issue, it remains to be seen how they will respond to this digital maneuver by their rivals and how it will impact the overall election campaign.
