Table Of ContentTHE STRONGMEN
The Strongmen
EUROPEAN ENCOUNTERS WITH SOVEREIGN POWER
Hans Kribbe
McGill-Queen’s University Press
Montreal & Kingston · Chicago
© Hans Kribbe 2020
Published in 2020 by McGill-Queen’s University Press
Published simultaneously outside North America by Agenda Publishing
ISBN 978-0-2280-0413-4 (cloth)
ISBN 978-0-2280-0471-4 (ePDF)
ISBN 978-0-2280-0472-1 (ePUB)
Legal deposit fourth quarter 2020
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: The strongmen : European encounters with sovereign power / Hans Kribbe.
Names: Kribbe, Hans, author.
Description: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20200250353 | Canadiana (ebook) 20200250752 |
ISBN 9780228004134
(cloth) | ISBN 9780228004714 (ePDF) | ISBN 9780228004721 (ePUB)
Subjects: LCSH: Power (Social sciences) | LCSH: Balance of power. | LCSH: Heads
of state. | LCSH:
Rhetoric—Political aspects. | LCSH: Europe—Politics and government—21st
century.
Classification: LCC JC330 .K75 2020 | DDC 303.3—dc23
Typeset by JS Typesetting Ltd, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan
Printed and bound in the UK by TJ International
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Preface ix
1 Introduction: the allure of strength 1
Part I The strongman
2 Saviour: in the clutches of time 25
3 Lord: in the shadow of the state 43
4 Performer: the mise en scène of power 65
5 Duellist: the fellowship of foes 87
Intermezzo: metagames 105
Part II Encounters
6 Putin: recognizing forbidden space 111
7 Erdogan: drawing borders 133
8 Xi: defying the celestial empire 151
9 Trump: cracking the strongman code 171
10 Epilogue: initiations into power 191
Notes 209
Index 227
v
Acknowledgements
The idea for this book emerged out of countless conversations and encounters
around the world, going back 15 years. These conversations nearly always
dealt with practical matters of politics and business, in other words, with con-
crete problems and how to solve them through action, not with concepts or
theories. However, probably more than any book or theory could have done,
they offered a window into the politics of strength. They revealed how dif-
ferently politics can be experienced and lived. I owe a debt of thanks to all
those who unwittingly, but no less relentlessly, challenged my assumptions
and uncovered a new world.
I am grateful, further, to the people who commented on some or even all of
what I have written here. Luuk van Middelaar, supremely gifted writer, sharp-
ened my ideas, helped me recognize pitfalls and provided vital encouragement
throughout. Alison Howson, remorseless editor, imposed structure, rigour
and brevity. Tim Price has been a companion in exploring the world of the
strongman. I have endlessly tested arguments with Simonas Vileikis, astute
observer of global politics, leading me to either improve or discard them.
Lucía Caudet read early drafts of chapters, offering a sanity check and the
assurance I needed to begin writing in earnest. Finally, I thank Rafael and
Mateo, men of action, for enduring a father immersed in thought.
Hans Kribbe
Brussels
vii
Preface
Not long ago, the world’s strongmen were only tinpot dictators of tinpot coun-
tries. Parts of the world, we knew, remained in the doldrums of despotism.
But this formed no particular threat to the West and its ideals. Liberal democ-
racy seemed unassailable in its appeal. Strongman politics, the consensus was,
thrived on social and intellectual torpor. Sooner or later the rest of the world
would wake up and follow our example.
Today, history looks far less certain, less linear. Bullish confidence in the
Western model, commonplace once, has become a curiosity. The strongmen
are on the rise in Asia, Africa and even in the West itself. And rather than
tinpot countries, they now run some of the world’s wealthiest and most pow-
erful states. The technological and military resources the strongmen com-
mand collectively, and in some cases individually, exceed those of European
and other liberal states by far. The time when strongmen needed to pose
as democrats to gain international acceptance is over. It suffices to win the
respect of other strongmen.
For Europe, the repercussions of this new balance of power are vast. Since
the Second World War, Europe has stood for an idea of global order, on which
it also staked its future. According to this idea, multilateral rules can be found
that serve the interests of all people, and peace and prosperity come about
when those rules are upheld by global institutions of governance. It remains
a powerful vision, one that has bought the continent the security and unity
it needed. But as a conception of order, rules are no longer the only game in
town. The strongmen have their own idea about how the world should be
organized. And at the heart of this language of politics and order lie not rules
but an idea of strength.
ix
