Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has had his hat in the political arena for almost 13 years now, during which time he has become not just a symbol of his country, but the personification of a certain type of politics. This is a product of an era of transition, both in Russia and in the world – a period when the political system of coordinates is in flux everywhere, traditional ideologies have been shaken, borders have become porous and blurred while new and puzzling dividing lines are emerging.
Against this backdrop of moral relativism, conceptual incoherence, mixture genres – such as “humanitarian intervention” – and general uncertainty about the future, there is a need for strong leaders who are capable of pursuing their course and casting aside traditional constraints. This is practically impossible in a developed democracy, although it has become almost commonplace to speak about destructive inefficiency of this form of government in times of severe crisis. But societies in transition can afford it: the institutions that limit personal rule have not yet taken hold and popular belief in quick fixes is strong.
If such a leader appears in a small country that depends on external circumstances, he tends to become an outcast (such is the situation in Belarus) or, at best, an enfant terrible (like in Hungary). When it happens in a huge, powerful country with vast natural resources and nuclear potential that by definition plays a leading role in world politics, it can claim to offer an alternative model. Putin is an ideal embodiment of such a model.
Putin as leader is perceived in the world as a stronger and more influential factor than the country he leads. While Russia is widely perceived in the West as a shrinking “petro-state” and a declining kleptocracy, the country’s leader is not in the same category as Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, much as the Russian opposition would like it to be the case.
He is thought to be a wily, sophisticated and therefore doubly dangerous player who successfully achieves his goals. The demonization of Putin in the Western media and public opinion is the flip side of the fascination with his personality. The reason is that Vladimir Putin is doing what Western leaders cannot afford to do because of to the above-mentioned institutional constraints.
Putin makes no bones about being anti-ideological, which enables him to make abrupt turns in policy when necessary and to use any rhetoric to further his ends. He has no use for political correctness, which enables him to formulate some priorities without mincing his words. His preoccupation with national sovereignty gives him a lot of leeway in the big game: Russia is one of the few countries not bound by commitments within any alliance and thus has a free hand, while being strong enough to translate that freedom into reality. He is guided by the principles of Realpolitik, which is based on the balance of forces in which potentials – and not intentions – count while prestige is a material concept. The approach is often criticized as being old-fashioned, but it is clear and understandable.
Read the full text at Russia Beyond the Headlines : «Maintaining weight»