Lexikalische Strategien der antihegemonialen Identitätsbildung in der populistisch-verschwörungstheoretischen Rhetorik der Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)

Since its entry into politics, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has programmatically positioned itself against the ‘old parties’ and against a political ‘oligarchy’ which, in the party’s view, holds the power for decision-making. This clear stance against a supposedly secret collective is a recurring theme in the party’s communication, which appears to indicate that this position against the established decision makers is of fundamental importance for the party’s identity formation. Based on this, the article will describe some of the terminology used by the AfD for its anti-hegemonic identity profiling. The article will also examine whether the conspiratorial tone echoing in these statements is also present in the content of the campaign communications.