Cults of Personality
How do you make — and unmake — a political strongman?
Silvio Berlusconi addresses a crowd in Milan in January 2018. The infamous media mogul and former Prime Minister of Italy continues at age 84 to be a force in his country’s politics; he is currently serving as a member of the European Parliament. Berlusconi’s populist, autocratic regime made him perhaps the most revered - and loathed - figure in Italy sine Benito Mussolini. And his self-styled nickname? Il Cavaliere: “The Knight.”
Delbo Andrea / Shutterstock
Remember Silvio Berlusconi? Sex scandals, shady deals and a cult-like following marked the former Italian prime minister’s lasting grip on power. It’s a playbook with a long history and a troubling appeal nowadays, says NYU historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat. On our first episode back from the winter break, she walks Will and Siva through the characteristics of political strongmen — and the lessons they offer for American democracy in the post-Trump era.
Ben-Ghiat’s research shows that authoritarian leaders tend to rise to power with rhetoric and policies that are contrary to the democratic values their own supporters hold dear. Putin, Berlusconi, Erdogan, Trump, Orban... they all say they support the “working man,” but their politics empower the wealthy and corrupt. They may let their supporters believe they’re against globalization, but often they hide their assets in foreign countries and profit from businesses that export jobs. And while they talk tough on “law and order,” Ben-Ghiat says, they relish acting as if they’re above the law.
