Digital Diplomacy as a tool for (diaspora) political participation

Abstract

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Globalization in general and the economic crisis in particular have caused an increase in the number of economic migrants. States like Spain that in recent decades had become a net recipient of migrants (essentially from Latin America and North Africa) have seen how its (younger) population have to migrate to other states like the UK, Germany or UAE. While it is true that these groups have established its residence abroad, it is also true that their interest in national politics has not diminished at all. Historically, although the Spanish diaspora had try to maintain its commitment to national politics communications between their destination and origin country were not easy at all. Thus, nowadays a total of 1,500,000 Spaniards are living abroad and they demand a more active policy to promote its political participation in the Spanish political system. In this sense, there is a need of promoting a real policy of digital diplomacy to meet the political diaspora expectation on Spanish politics.