Comunicación política e Internet: Estrategias online de los partidos políticos vascos en las elecciones autonómicas de 2009 / Political communications and the Internet: Basque political parties’ on-line strategies in 2009 regional elections

This study examines the role of official municipal websites as instruments of communication and transparency in small municipalities (under 2,000 inhabitants) within the Basque Autonomous Community. Grounded in content analysis methodology, the research evaluates the extent of web presence, digital service availability, and the integration of e-Government principles in 147 municipalities. Findings show that while 93.8% of the municipalities maintain an official website, significant disparities exist in content quality, multilingual accessibility, institutional transparency, and citizen interaction tools. Municipalities in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa outperform those in Álava due to provincial digitalisation programmes such as BiscayTIK and IZFE. However, most websites prioritise tourism promotion over institutional communication, with limited integration of Web 2.0 or social media tools. This paper highlights the need for strategic investment in digital infrastructures and suggests inter-municipal collaboration to overcome resource limitations. The study contributes to understanding how local governments in rural settings adopt digital technologies and underscores the gaps in institutional visibility, which directly affect public trust and administrative efficiency.