Europe's Leadership Famine: Portraits of defiance and decay 1950-2022

Representative democracy endured in Europe because its political leaders' deviousness and self-advancement were balanced by altruism, fortitude and civic virtue. However, in this century, the reputation and calibre of politicians has slumped in country after country, as fads, image, process, triviality and spin are promoted over experience, prudence and long-term outcomes. National leadership roles are increasingly filled by inexperienced careerists, who are disconnected from the people on whose behalf they are supposed to rule.

This book examines the careers, formative experiences, outlooks and intentions of twenty European leaders, from Tito to Macron, from Merkel to Zelensky, in five thematic sections, from The Cold War through identity politics and renewed war in Europe. Most of these leaders left their countries weaker. A small number at times sought to defy networks of power or patterns of thought that diminished Europe and corroded democracy.

How can Europe remain mostly free and adequately governed, if this leadership famine drags on?