Blurring Borders: truth-seeking in a post-truth world.Tracing the process of legitimisation of Eurabia attitudes in Dutch political discourse.

Abstract

This master thesis intends to elucidate the legitimisation process of the Eurabia conspiracy theory by political mainstream and fringe actors in Dutch political discourse. Performing a process tracing analysis of the shifting political discourse in the 2006-2017 period, different party manifestos, speeches, interviews, letters and political statements of mainstream VVD- leader Rutte and fringe PVV-leader Wilders are analysed. Anti-migrant and anti-Islam attitudes have been growing since the 2000s, partly due to Islamic terrorism and political assassinations. Especially populist politician Geert Wilders has instrumentalised a growing feeling of fear and discomfort with non-natives, politicising and reshaping societal debates on these issues, reinforcing the sociocultural cleavage. Mark Rutte, in turn, increasingly responded to this electoral threat with an ideological reorientation, a negative frame on migration and Islam. In the end, even his rhetoric made a pessimist turn. It is demonstrated that the legitimisation of the premisses to this conspiracy theory in the political arena was a gradual process, to be divided into four phases. Starting with a context-changing run-up phase, followed by a taboo-breaking entry phase, then an absorbent, ideological internalisation phase, concluded with a legitimisation phase of rhetorical accommodation by the mainstream. Most importantly, the power of mainstream actors in crediting, confirming and redefining societal debates with re-adjusted ideas and statements is exemplified. The introduction of (previously) stigmatised knowledge is a two-sided process, magnified by political crises, induced by fringe political actors, but legitimised by the mainstream.