Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had the perfect recipe for success. From being the son of a beloved Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, to the fashion outlets’ favourite ‘best-dressed world leader’, he had the support, the ambition and the love of millions to make it in politics. Hundreds have tried to crack his ‘playbook’, and several world leaders have been attempting to imitate him. He stayed afloat through multiple big crises that not many world leaders would survive. While his reputation isn’t where it was 5-10 years ago, Canada’s ‘golden boy’ has undeniably been one of the ‘rockstars’ of global politics. What can we learn about political charisma from ‘love it or hate it’ Justin Trudeau?
Relatability of political leaders, a good or bad thing?
In politics, charisma is the ability of leaders and candidates to attract, charm and influence voters. While relatability is often synonymised with charisma, it’s just one aspect of it. Experts and academics have quite substantially studied the charisma of political leaders. In Harvard University Professor Joseph S. Nye’s view, charisma originates not simply in the individual politician but also in his followers or the socio-political context of the time. He claims that charisma tells voters
“something about a candidate, but even more about themselves, the mood of the country, and their desire for change.”
It is important to remember that political charisma is neither inherently positive nor negative nor guarantees successful leadership. Charisma is a finite and abstract concept that requires a lot of creativity and discipline to maintain. It’s not random that different cultures and societies may have varying perceptions of what constitutes charisma in politics. It’s simply a tool entirely in the hands of its owner and recipient.
This content is for our members only.
Want to read the whole article? Sign-up for free!
Your benefits:
- Completely free
- Access to all articles published by PartyParty.
- Get our weekly newsletter with new articles and exclusive content directly to your inbox.
- Access to the PartyParty Election Calendar.
It seems to me that the admiration for Trudeau only exists among Europeans on the left. Politicians who choose to follow his playbook are more likely to further polarization and mistrust towards political institutions rather than the opposite.
Contrary to what is written here, most Canadians do not find Trudeau “genuine” or “warm” but data shows that people think he dismisses or disrespects Canadians who hold views that he disagreed with, that he appeared angry during campaigns, and that he ran a cynical campaign that created confrontation amongst Canadians for political gain.
Dear Evan,
Thank you for reading my article and sharing your perspective on Prime Minister Trudeau. Regarding ‘admiration’ of Trudeau, I think he has been considered an interesting political figure not only by the European left but also across the political spectrum. And that ‘admiration’ doesn’t/didn’t necessarily derive (only) from his policies but from the way he communicated, campaigned and branded himself as a politician. His team did quite an exceptional job in the early and mid-2010s if we’re talking about political communication.
Besides my personal opinion, for this specific piece, I have read more than 60 articles and research on him, published in Canadian, European and American media and think tanks from the early 2010s until 2023. It is true that he has lost public support and trust incrementally over the years, which I mentioned in the article. However, I would disagree with the statement that he hasn’t been considered ‘genuine’ or ‘warm’ at any point during his time in the office. As you mentioned yourself, ‘most Canadians’, which gives us room for exploration of this dynamic and draw lessons.
Finally, as you can see, the article is quite neutral on his persona and even critical in places. This piece’s purpose wasn’t to judge his policies but to understand what we can learn from a politician who’s consistently been in the global spotlight with all his ups and downs.
Have a lovely day!
Viktorya Muradyan