A virtual candidate is the new Ukrainian president

Ukraine's new president Volodymyr Zelenskiy opted for the power of YouTube and Instagram over policy and debates

Spotted: Ukraine’s president-elect won an election by running an exclusively virtual campaign, a first according to election observers. His ability to convince voters without interacting with them directly has underscored the growing importance of social media in politics.

Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Adrian Karatnycky notes that platforms like Youtube allowed Volodymyr Zelenskiy to be a “virtual candidate”. Zelenskiy built a campaign on his successful career as a TV actor and comedian. Social media platforms allowed him to showcase his outsider status, according to Karatnycky.

Zelenskiy replaced traditional campaigning with online videos and Instagram posts. Instead of holding press conferences and debates, he invited people to engage online. For instance, Zelenskiy called on the wider public to help him create a platform virtually.

Now the only thing he has to do is govern as the country’s president. No word yet if there is an app for that.