When the Soviet Union collapsed and global communism began to recede, many hoped that the days of authoritarian leaders who cultivated "cults of personality" were over. We have reached the "end of history" and liberal democracy has won. A regular, peaceful transition of power between democratically elected officials was to become the norm, and no one would dare claim to be infallible, let alone divine.
In the USSR, communism could be the only "religion". And if communism was godless, its opponents concluded, the antidote for it must be Christianity. The first post-Soviet president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, conveyed his democratic spirit by declaring himself a Christian. And that is why God, not Lenin, became the benchmark for the absence of dictatorial aspirations of post-Soviet leaders.
The current president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, however, turned this approach on its head and elevated post-Soviet piety to the level of gospel in order to achieve his dictatorial goals. During a 2002 visit to the United States, Putin's earnest talk of crosses and miracles convinced President George W. Bush -- a born-again Christian -- that the former KGB lieutenant colonel had "heart and soul."
The problem with overtly religious leaders is that they often try to justify worldly decisions with the absolutism of their faith. This is a risk even in democratic countries: when Bush met Putin, he was leading a kind of crusade in Afghanistan, and he labeled Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an "axis of evil". That call to arms disguised as morality. But as Bush's wars multiplied and dragged on, so did his ability to attract the faithful. New elections brought hope that better and less dogmatic leaders would emerge.
Putin's Russia was not so lucky. Unlike Bush, Putin has the power to impose bigotry as he pleases, and elections in Russia, orchestrated by the Kremlin, are nothing more than a rite of worship.
Although Russia is not a theocracy, its state religion—Orthodox Christianity—has become almost as pervasive as communism once was. For example, government officials can cancel an anatomy exhibit simply because it might "offend the feelings of the faithful." And when Putin criticizes the West, he usually points to its "decadence." Russia—a "special civilization" historically tied to the Byzantine Empire—must lead the defense of "traditional values" such as heterosexuality and the nuclear, close family.
Putin does not claim to be divine, but he talks about it. If the Soviet general secretaries were the successors of the "prophets of faith" – Lenin, Marx and Engels – then Putin is the modern incarnation of the holy emperors, especially Peter the Great and Catherine the Great – God's vicars on earth. He is not a fanatic, but a man destined, endowed with unique qualities, to organize the Holy Crusade.
Putin has cultivated this image for a long time. In 2007, a group of Orthodox Russians founded a new sect that believed that Putin was the reincarnation of the Apostle Paul, who had returned to fight the Antichrist. In the 2010s, Vladislav Surkov (one of Putin's close advisers at the time) declared him a "white knight" sent by God to save Russia. And after the full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the state broadcasts constantly talked about God and Putin's special relationship with him.
To this one can say that there is nothing unusual or even problematic that in times of crisis people are comforted or motivated by faith. Even Stalin embraced the Orthodox Church during World War II: they were more likely to support the fight if they believed God was on their side. Putin, however, uses religion to justify creating new crises or exacerbating existing ones.
Nowadays, Putin is not alone. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for example, declared earlier this year that he had "dedicated himself completely" to God, who had sent him "with a specific purpose". Although in the recent general election, Modi's personality cult failed to secure a majority for his nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party – Indian democracy has not completely gone the Russian way – he remains the most popular elected leader in the world.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – another autocrat in democratic garb – has used religion in a similar way, such as in 2020, when he declared Istanbul's Byzantine basilica, the Hagia Sophia, a mosque. Some of his aides now claim that he was "sent by Allah" to bring hope to Muslims. Since Erdogan's Justice and Development Party suffered a rare election defeat for her in April, Erdogan has doubled down on religion by, for example, pushing through changes in school curricula to emphasize religious education and the promotion of "national values."
Then there is Donald Trump, the "Orange Jesus" of the American radical right. Trump may not know a single Bible verse, but he knows how to stoke the religious flames to unite his base. For Trump supporters, no claim is too bizarre. In 2021, for example, hundreds of Trump supporters, who believe in conspiracy theories, gathered in Dallas, Texas for the second coming, not of Jesus, but of John F. Kennedy Jr., who they believed would become vice president when Trump inexplicably died. return to the position of president.
Leaders who claim to be on divine missions are actually those who seek to increase their power and extend their reign, ideally forever. Putin has already achieved that goal, and Modi and Erdogan are moving in the same direction. However, the biggest danger is Trump. One should not ignore the possibility that - in case of his victory in November - the elections in the USA in 2028 will not take place.
The author is a professor of international affairs at the New School of New York University
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2024. (translation: NR)
Bonus video:
