Authoritarian Populism as a Response to Crisis: The Case of Brazil

Year 2022, Volume: 19 Issue: 74, 37 - 51, 02.06.2022

Esra Akgemci

https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.1113367

Cited By: 5

Abstract

This article demonstrates that the authoritarian populist strategy is most appealing when leaders create a sense of crisis and present themselves as having the only solution. The article underlines three performative methods of how Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil offered simple answers for a crisis and portrayed other political actors as the responsible ones to be removed. Firstly, nativism presents a conservative view on how politics should be structured by perceiving all “non-natives” as threatening. Secondly, messianism, the fetishism of Bolsonaro as a “messiah” who leads the way in the battle between “good” and “evil,” serves to reinforce the support of the Evangelist base against “PT members.” Finally, conspiracism provides an easy way to eradicate ambiguities and helps to fuel an antagonism against the “enemy.”

Keywords

Bolsonaro, performance of crisis, nativism, messianism, conspiracism

Krize Yanıt olarak Otoriter Popülizm: Brezilya Örneği

Abstract

Bu makale, liderlerin bir kriz hissi yaratmayı başardıkları ve kendilerini krizi çözebilecek tek kişi olarak ortaya koyabildikleri durumlarda otoriter popülist stratejilerin daha etkin olduğunu göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır. Makale, Brezilya’da Jair Bolsonaro’nun krizleri çözmek için basit çözümler sunmasını ve diğer politik aktörleri ortadan kaldırılması gereken suçlular olarak göstermesini sağlayan üç temel stratejiye işaret etmektedir. Öncelikle, yerelcilik, “yerel olmayan” herkesi ve her şeyi tehdit olarak algılayarak siyasetin nasıl yapılandırılması gerektiğine dair muhafazakâr bir görüş sunmaktadır. İkinci olarak, Bolsonaro’nun “iyi” ve “kötü” arasındaki savaşta yol gösterici bir “Mesih” olarak öne çıkmasıyla gelişen, lider-fetişizmine dayanan Mesih inancı, İşçi Partisi destekçilerine karşı Evanjelist tabanın desteğini güçlendirmeye yaramaktadır. Son olarak, komploculuk, belirsizlikleri ortadan kaldırmak için kolay bir yol göstermekte ve antagonizmi körüklemeye yardımcı olmaktadır.

Keywords

Bolsonaro, kriz performansı, yerelcilik, Mesih inancı, komploculuk

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