SPECIAL FEATURE | %1&%77%(367(-6)'836=
TWIPLOMACY’SHONESTFUN
ANDLIKABLEVOICES
From selfies to puppy pictures, friendly sports wagers to today’s “must-read,”
ambassadors bring personal flair to digital diplomacy
BY DA R A K L AT T
A
n “obsession” is what France’s
ambassador to the U.S. Gérard Araud
(@GerardAraud) calls Twitter.
Tweeting over 11,000 times, he has used
the social medium to discuss and eagerly
debate topics on refugees in Europe, ISIS’ use
of the Internet, climate change, the Greek
crisis, the Iran Deal, NSA spying, Israeli
policy in occupied territories, and what he
sees as misleading coverage of events in the
U.S. media.
He also uses it to decree that a Rolling
Stone cover with Kim Kardashian is “the death
of rock’n’roll;” voice his frustration with public
transportation delays; enlighten a foreign policy
reporter about Bastille Day (noting: “you owe
me a bottle of Champagne”); and retweet
Calvin and Hobbes cartoons.
As “a good Frenchman,” Araud also tweets
when he’s anticipating a vacation, when he is
on vacation (but still tweeting, of course) …
and three weeks later, when he is begrudgingly
back from vacation.
Call him a master strategist or a colorful
diplomat that rages against clichés, his
enthusiastic use of Twitter — and brush of
assumed political protocol with sharp wit
— has gained him 17,000 followers. It’s also
earned him plenty of admirers, especially
68
from fellow ambassadors to the U.S. who are
following his lead.
With varying degrees of panache, some of
the most active ambassadors to the U.S. on
Twitter, according to a recent Exploring Digital
Diplomacy study sample, include those from
Italy, France, the European Union, Germany,
Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Sweden, Qatar
and the U.K. As far as attracting an audience,
Israel’s Ambassador Ron Dermer (@
AmbDermer) leads the charge with more than
40,000 followers, trailed by Araud at 17,100,
Italy’s Claudio Bisogniero (@CBisogniero) at
7,200 and the U.K.’s Sir Peter Westmacott (@
PeterWestmacott) at 6,200.
While most ambassadors focus on behindthe-scenes diplomacy or presenting their own
stance of an issue, some diplomatic Twitteratis
have steadily gained followers by letting their
personalities peer through.
Move over staid digital diplomacy. It’s time
for selfies and puppy pictures.
German ambassador to the U.S. Peter
Wittig (@AmbWittig), Westmacott, Iraq’s
Lukman Al Faily (@FailyLukman) and Qatar’s
Mohammed Al Kuwari (@Amb_AlKuwari)
have all posted selfies. Wittig’s photo of his
adopted puppy Mikosch got 41 likes and 14
retweets. Westmacott and the EU’s David
O’Sullivan (@EUAmbUS) couldn’t help
posting pictures with celebrities like Dame
Judith Dench and Shaq.
There’s #WineWedesday for Switzerland’s
Martin Dahinden (@Martin_Dahinden) on
a California tour, Westmacott bike riding at
Google headquarters, and O’Sullivan at the
Grand Ole Opry. They might sport red socks
for New York Fashion Week, penguin ties for
World Penguin Day, four-leaf-clover cuffs on
St. Patrick’s Day and wear ’60s costumes to a
Beatles cover band concert.
You’ll find via tweets that one of Araud’s
preferred writers is Jane Austen, Wittig’s
favorite composer is Bach, Al Kuwari’s favorite
song is “We are the World,” Westmacott waited
50 years for his first Rolling Stones concert,
and Switzerland’s Dahinden’s online quiz result
was “Switzerland Expert.”
But sports bring out the pride and humility.
Israel’s Ron Dermer was forced to tweet his
“Pacers Pride” after losing a bet with the
governor of Indiana. And during the FIFA
World Cup, the German and Norwegian
ambassadors took part in a friendly twitter
wa ger with the loser owing a case of national
beer.
Hey, diplomacy is complicated.Twiplomacy
is just favorited.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
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