Editorial: Leadership, politics and society in the digital age

Jasmin Fitzpatrick ^1* F. Ramón Villaplana ²

• ¹ Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
• ² University of Murcia, Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Starting with a general assessment of what digital leadership actually means, Villaplana and Fitzpatrick provide an overview of changing leadership concept in connection with the great transformations in the media environment. Based on different concepts rooted in political sociology, the authors develop a model of leadership reflecting skills and features of typical leaders of the radio, the TV, and the Internet eras. They define the digital leader "as a person that navigates the digital sphere with great expertise and sophistication, being able to generate beneficial outcome in terms of their function and goals" (p. 4).Focussing on Digital Leadership during crises, Riedl, Drews and Richter analyse Twitter discussions on COVID-19 before the election using two datasets. Their analysis reveals two polarized echo chambers: a "safety-first" group supporting strict measures, and a "freedom-first" group opposing them. While politicians largely avoided the topic to side-step electoral risks, key figures like Jens Spahn (CDU/CSU) and Karl Lauterbach (SPD) were inevitably drawn into the debate due to their roles in health policy and crisis management.Riviera et al. examine how citizens' use of social networks for political information influences their emotional responses to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In this regard, the contribution examines citizens' reaction to a digital leader. Findings reveal that those who consume political content on social media express more anger and fear toward Sánchez than those who do not. While fear can drive individuals to seek alternative information, doing so on social networks tends to amplify anger. These results suggest that digital platforms play a key role in shaping political emotions, particularly intensifying negative responses like anger.Two studies compare candidates' communicative behaviour during campaigns: Providing evidence from Andalusia, Ruiloba-Núñez and Goenaga analyse electoral communication on social media from a gender perspective by based on X (formerly Twitter) posts from candidates in the last two Andalusian elections. Their findings reveal limited use of inclusive language and minimal focus on women. Concerning digital leadership, the authors point out that gender influences a more inclusive communication style and a stronger emphasis on policies affecting women within campaign discourse.Expanding the analysis of communication to a different Spanish region, Castilla y León, in comparison to Andalusia, Pérez-Castaños, Antón-Merino and García-Hípola perform a content analysis of regional candidates' accounts on X which reveals differences between traditional and new parties, though a gradual alignment in their electoral strategies suggests a convergence in their approach to digital political communication. "Old dogs" are still able to learn new tricks, according to the authors.Focusing on an intra-party perspective, Sánchez Medero takes a closer look at selection mechanisms of political leaders. She investigates whether digital tools are widely used in these processes and their actual influence on party democracy. A taxonomy of selection models was developed using indicator-based analysis from previous research. Findings explore the extent to which online mechanisms shape internal democracy and identify which parties most actively adopt digital selection methods, challenging assumptions about the prevalence and effectiveness of online procedures.Finally, Tretter looks at the implications posed by AI-systems to political processes, anticipating possible scenarios in the near future. Despite political decision-making is fraught with uncertainty in modern societies, leaders must fulfil their function. AI has emerged as a tool to help facing both the usual and the unknown by analysing intricate situations, identifying key factors, and simulating potential outcomes. However, its use in political management raises challenges, including algorithmic biases, false illusions of certainty, overreliance on AI-driven recommendations, and concerns about human (lack of) control. The author advocates for ethical reasoning, aiming to foster responsible AI integration in politics.Overall, this Research Topic contributes to the literature on political leadership (Rahat and Kening, 2018), the mediatization of politics (Giraldi et al. 2021), technology and democracy (Forestal, 2022), and the digitalization of political parties (Barberà et al 2021;Gauja, Kosiara-Pedersen and Weissenbach, 2025).