European Leaders Announce Their Support
Social media, in its never-ending quest to be the world’s loudest and most chaotic echo chamber, occasionally delivers moments of unintentional comedy. Sometimes, it’s a viral clip that makes you question humanity’s collective intelligence. Other times, it’s a case of digital déjà vu so blatant that you have to wonder: Are we dealing with real people here, or just an automated PR machine running on autopilot?
Enter the latest example: a series of pro-Ukraine messages from high-ranking European officials that were—word for word—the same. Not just similar. Identical.
Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian people.
Be strong, be brave, be fearless.
You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa.We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) February 28, 2025
Since Friday, at least five major European leaders have posted this exact message on X (formerly Twitter):
“Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”
Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with supporting Ukraine. That’s not the issue. The problem is the almost robotic nature of this show of support. These are supposed to be some of the most influential figures in European politics, and yet, their carefully crafted “message” comes off like a copy-paste job from a poorly coordinated group project.
The offenders? Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Valdis Dombrovskis, a high-ranking official with an absurdly long title that includes “An Economy That Works for People” (seriously). Manfred Weber, President of the European People’s Party. And António Costa, President of the European Council.
Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people.
Be strong, be brave, be fearless.
You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa.We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 28, 2025
If their social media activity is any indication, one of two things must be true: either they are all androids, or their communications staff consists of androids. Because otherwise, how do five separate world leaders manage to post the exact same message without even a hint of individuality?
What makes this even more laughable is that these aren’t minor players. These are people who, in theory, help shape Europe’s response to global crises. And yet, their approach to public messaging suggests an alarming lack of originality. If they can’t even take five minutes to compose a unique sentence, how much critical thinking is going into the policies they endorse?