Can We Bridge Divides? Discourse on X During 2019 and 2024 European Elections in Slovenia - Preprint

As digital platforms increasingly mediate public discourse, many believe that ideological fragmentation threatens democratic debate and contributes to divided society. Yet, such discussions often remain on a normative level, while most empirical research examines single time points in large countries, limiting understanding of how fragmentation trajectories evolve over time, especially in smaller European democracies. This study explores how the communication landscape on X evolved between the 2019 and 2024 European elections in Slovenia, and what these structural patterns reveal about the possibilities and barriers for dialogue in digital public spheres. Using social network analysis, the study analysed over 100,000 tweets. I examined community structure, information flows, and temporal changes in network fragmentation during a period marked by platform transformation (Twitter to X) and global crises (COVID-19, war in Ukraine). Results reveal deep ideological clustering with minimal cross-group interaction in both periods. Fragmentation intensified remarkably: the right-wing cluster nearly doubled (+95%), while the left-wing cluster contracted (-18%). Network topology suggests a shift from isolated echo chambers to »echo platform« dynamics, where entire platform functions as ideological silos. These patterns emerge from platform affordances rewarding engagement, strategic communication choices, and media ecosystem shifts. Findings challenge optimistic assumptions about social media enabling dialogue and suggest the existence of structural barriers to cross-ideological deliberation. Yet, they also inform evidence-based interventions: algorithmic transparency, platform features and civic initiatives, and invite critical reflection on how European regulatory frameworks correspond to the empirical reality of the contemporary communication environment. As generative AI enters political communication, such evidence becomes essential for assessing future fragmentation dynamics and informing strategies to boost democratic resilience.