The "Great Reset" Conspiracy Theory

Claim: The World Economic Forum's real 2020 "Great Reset" initiative — a set of policy proposals for post-pandemic economic recovery — is reinterpreted by conspiracy theorists as a secret plot by global elites to abolish private property, impose totalitarian surveillance, and enslave the population under the guise of environmentalism and public health.

Origins: Sparked by WEF founder Klaus Schwab's actual 2020 book COVID-19: The Great Reset, which discussed genuine, publicly debated economic policy ideas; the phrase was quickly stripped of context and merged with pre-existing "New World Order" narratives, especially popular in parts of Europe and North America during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Why it's false: The WEF is a non-governmental organization with no legislative or enforcement power; its proposals are public, debated policy suggestions, not secret directives, and many were never adopted by any government. The theory conflates ordinary international economic-policy discussion with a coordinated takeover plan, for which no evidence exists.

Status: A major driver of pandemic-era political polarization in Europe and the U.S.; researchers view it as a rebranding of the older New World Order theory for a new news cycle.