Conspiracy theories as a political instrument: utilization of anti-Soros narratives in Central Europe

Abstract

This paper addresses the global phenomenon of anti-Soros conspiracy theories, focusing on the Central European region between 2017 and 2019. It surveys how these theories have been employed by two populist leaders, Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Róbert Fico in Slovakia. It further discusses these leaders’ motivations for developing conspiracy narratives and the channels through which they spread them. The author argues that the usage and effectiveness of anti-Soros conspiracy narratives in influencing political supporters and the general population has been determined by the type of crisis during which leaders have found themselves and the degree of concentration of power in their hands respectively. The article is distinguished from most of the academic literature on conspiracy theories by focusing on ‘mainstream’ populist leaders, instead of extremist political parties or authoritarian regimes that often use conspiracy theories as well.