Polish ‘Creeping Coup d’État’: (Conspiracy) Tropes as Research Problem of Political Discourse Analysis

The article is divided into two parts: the first examines discourse analysis as a research method, while the second focuses on the study of Polish political culture. Initially, the article discusses the potential of discourse analysis for political science and related social sciences. The distinction between actor, problem and structure-oriented political discourse analysis is introduced. Special attention is paid to exploring the utility of the poorly researched structure-oriented discourse analysis and the concept of tropes in public discourse. In this context, a case study of the conspiratorial motive of a creeping coup d’état in Polish political discourse is conducted. In conclusion, the article states that the trope has constituted a significant element of Polish political culture over the last two decades, as conspiracy narratives have become institutionalised in mainstream politics as a byproduct of culture wars and deep polarisation. Therefore, it is claimed that a study of tropes, not only those related to conspiracy narratives, offers a promising perspective for understanding political cultures.