Soros Conspiracy Theories in Poland

Abstract

Since the 2015 European refugee crisis the popularity of conspiracy theories in Poland has been on the rise, exemplified by the case of Hungarian-born Jewish-American billionaire, George Soros. The appeal of anti-Soros conspiracy theories in Poland is explained by his involvement in the 1989 transformation from communism to capitalism, centuries old antisemitism in this country, the unique role of Radio Maryja as well as intergenerational dynamics that emerged between different cohorts of Poles who had suffered similar negative consequences from globalization. This dissertation stresses the central role of populist politicians who made scapegoating Soros an important part of their electoral strategy. They reframed aspects of his biography and historical role in the Polish transformation to articulate the refugee crisis in a way that brought together old and young generations by drawing on cultural repertoires of antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and national victimhood narratives that were in turn disseminated through traditional and new media outlets. This strategy translated into electoral victories for the populist Law and Justice party and reshaped what it was possible to say in mainstream Polish media. This dissertation contributes to scholarship on the political uses of conspiracy theories in an often-overlooked part of the world in this research: Central and Eastern Europe. By concentrating on the dissemination of anti-Soros conspiracy theories circulating between different media outlets, including radio and the press, it fills a gap in the field which prioritizes studying the diffusion of these narratives on the Internet only. Furthermore, it adds to existing work on conspiracy theories and right-wing populism by looking at it from a historical-comparative and global perspective. It takes the view that conspiracy theories about Soros are not a phenomenon that emerges in isolation, detached from narratives circulating in other places or in the past, but rather as being intimately connected to them.