[튀르키예 대선 에르도안 승리]
Putin of Russia and Modi of India
“Prospects for international expansion of authoritarian governments”
As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Türkiye, who has been in power for 20 years since 2003, extends his power again, prospects are expected to accelerate the global trend of authoritarian ‘strongman’ leaders gaining power.
Citing a report from V-Dem, a Swedish research institute that analyzes trends in democracy in each country, the British Economist reported last month that 56 countries around the world fall under the category of “elective dictatorship.” Representatively, Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeded in winning a fourth term through elections and earned the nickname ‘Tsar’ (emperor of Russia). Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is strengthening Hindu nationalism, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is pushing for legislation to neutralize the judiciary, and Hungarian Prime Minister Orban Viktor, who has been in power for a long time for 13 years, are also classified as ‘strongmen’.
In March of this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping succeeded in serving a third term as president, which even Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping failed to achieve, effectively ascending to the position of ’emperor’. Although China maintains the one-party system of the Communist Party, it is the first time that the president has served three consecutive terms since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
They have in common that they promote individual worship, emphasize nationalism, and reign of terror rather than laws and institutions. Gideon Lachman, senior columnist for the Financial Times (FT), wrote in his book, “The Strong Man,” published last month, “These leaders are cultural conservatives in common and have little regard for the interests of those with whom they disagree, minorities, or foreigners.” Explained.
Despite their anti-liberal tendencies, they were able to take power due to the public’s desire for a ‘strong state’. President Putin is stimulating the nostalgia of the Soviet Union, which confronted the United States. His Xi’s “China Dream” is also in line with his aspirations for hegemony. Turkey and Hungary also have memories of the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, respectively.
There are observations that Erdogan’s re-election may put a brake on Western movements seeking to expand the liberal alliance against authoritarian regimes. CNN predicted that “Erdogan, who has been re-trusted by the people, will continue to embarrass Western leaders by further curtailing freedom.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.