The next speaker in this session at the 2026 International Communication Association conference in Cape Town is Maria Grub, whose interest is in susceptibility to pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Her focus is on populist politics in eastern Germany, where the neofascist AfD is now one of the most popular parties across several federal states; this is related at least in part to these states’ current economic issues.
There is a strong sense of political neglect and injustice amongst populations in these states, which leads to more populist voting; but this also affects positions on a broader range of issues. Such issues also include stances towards Russia, especially in the context of its war against Ukraine, and the present study explores what personal and political attitudes affect buy-in into pro-Russian narratives.
A lack of trust in political institutions (but not dissatisfaction with specific politicians) strongly correlates to support for such narratives; a pre-existing conspiracy mentality, right-wing political ideology, and birth in eastern Germany also correlate with this. Frequent users of Telegram and TikTok are also more likely to support such narratives. Matching many of these attributes, AfD voters are much more likely to support such narratives, as are supporters of the nominally left-wing, but strongly pro-Russia BSW party.
