Conspiracy theories, right-wing populism and foreign policy: the case of the Alternative for Germany

Abstract

This article analyses the relationship between conspiracy theories, populism and foreign policy by shedding light on the affective force of conspiracy theories in mobilising 'the people'. Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis, it conceptualises conspiracy theories as fantasies that promise to satisfy subjects' desire for a complete identity by accusing 'hidden' forces of blocking this perceived-to-be-lost but ultimately unattainable sense of ontological wholeness. The article argues that conspiracy theories allow populists to appeal to voters through emotive narratives which offer a dualistic outlook on global politics and (1) blame the conspirators for such feelings of lack, (2) transgress the conventions of the mainstream discourse by appealing to the obscene, and (3) valorise the populist actor for uncovering the plot against popular sovereignty and thereby promising to make 'the people' whole again. While conspiracy theories have been studied in other disciplines, International Relations scholarship has paid very little attention to them and, if at all, discussed their role in the context of the United States. This article illustrates its arguments with the case of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany and examines the role of conspiracy theories and foreign policy in its attempt to stage itself as 'true' representative of the German people.

Conspiracy Theories and Foreign Policy Narratives: Globalism in Jair Bolsonaro’s Foreign Policy

“…Second, the social phenomenon of the far-right rise is too recent for the literature to have responded appropriately. Only recently has it become clear that many far-right politicians use conspiracy theories to push their foreign policy agendas (Plagemann and Destradi, 2018; Guimarães and Silva, 2021; Wojczewski, 2021).…”

“…While there is in fact a growing literature on the international implications of populism (Özdamar and Ceydilek, 2019; Verbeek and Zaslove, 2015; 2017; Casullo, 2019; Moffitt, 2017; De Cleen, 2017; Plagemann and Destradi, 2018; Guimarães and Silva, 2021), these studies are focused on populism as a baseline conceptualization rather than on understanding how populist foreign policies operate. The exception is Wojczewski (2021), who analyzes conspiracy theories' relationship with populism and foreign policy to understand how it mobilizes “the people” in international relations, using the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany as a case study. Indeed, the concept of populism does elaborate international politics in many terms other than conspiracy theories, but it seems that combining studies on populism and conspiracy theories into a single approach, as Wojczewski (2021) has done, would improve the analytical quality of the scholarly debate.…”

“…There is a growing international-relations literature exploring the international implications of populist rhetoric tackling conspiracy theories marginally (Stengel, MacDonald, and Nabers, 2019; Boucher and Thies, 2019; Özdamar and Ceydilek, 2019; Wajner, 2021; Verbeek and Zaslove, 2015; 2017; Casullo, 2019; Moffitt, 2017; De Cleen, 2017; Plagemann and Destradi, 2018; Guimarães and Silva, 2020), along with a handful of studies analyzing conspiracy theories directly. These studies seek to assess whether and how conspiracy theories influence international politics, reconstructing the diffusion of the conspiracy narratives in foreign policy with anecdotal evidence (Sakwa, 2012; Aistrope, 2016; Yablokov, 2015; Hellinger, 2019; Roniger and Senkman, 2019; Wojczewski, 2021).…”

Varieties of Nationalism in the Age of Covid-19

“…Ethnopopulism "blends these threats "by propagating narratives whereby enemies from beyond (migrants, immigrants, ethnic minorities) couple or even conspire with enemies from above (the EU, UN, IMF [International Monetary Fund], 'global elites' or foreign powers) to undermine or even de-nationalize the nation-people" (Jenne 2018, 549; see also Vachudova 2020;Zellman 2019;Stroschein 2019;Bieber 2018;Hronešová 2021;De Cleen and Stavrakakis 2020;Heiskanen 2020;Koch 2020;Jovanović 2020). Conspiracy theories perform a vital function in mobilizing support for right-wing populist movements by identifying nefarious elites believed to be scheming with globalists and national others to destroy the "true" people (Wojczewski 2021).…”

“…Taking direct aim at the liberal nationalist responses of mostly Western governments, right-wing populist groups mobilized local resistance to national lockdowns across the developed world. From Italy to France to Germany and beyond, right-wing parties have leveled a range of criticisms against liberal nationalist governments-calling for stronger lockdown measures against non-native groups (National Rally leader Marine Le Pen), dismissing the counsel of government scientists, and insisting that lockdowns and mask mandates be abolished as "authoritarian" (Vox in Spain and Alternative for Germany in Germany) (Wojczewski 2021). Matteo Salvini of the League Party in Italy castigated Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte for failing to "defend Italy and Italians" with "armour-plated borders" against purportedly disease-carrying migrants from rescue ships (Luca 2020, 31; Tondo 2020).…”