Samenvatting

Threats to politicians have increased, both in the Netherlands and abroad. In some cases, (physical) threats were seemingly motivated by conspiracy theories. However, the majority of threats to politicians occur online via social media. The current study investigates the extent to which online hate and threats are motivated by conspiracy theories, through an analysis of nearly 2 million messages directed at Dutch party leaders on X (formerly Twitter). First, tweets referencing conspiracy theories are described both quantitatively and qualitatively. Second, the relationship between abusive language and the expression of conspiracy theories is examined. The results show that the conspiracy theories cited are often far-right in nature or emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prominent and male politicians appear to be more frequently targeted by such conspiracy-related messages. Finally, a relationship is found between mentions of conspiracy theories and different forms of abusive language. This research highlights the role of conspiracy theories as a driving force behind online hate and threats against politicians.