Having personal charm, overpowering charisma and deployable persuasion can be like having a superpower. This powerful trait can give an individual an advantage in everyday life and in high stakes international diplomacy. But how far can charm be utilized before it becomes an unethical manipulation?
Leaders gifted with natural charm and magnetism often hold an undeniable allure that can significantly impact diplomatic efforts. Such individuals possess the ability to build rapport, foster trust, and create an atmosphere conducive to negotiation. Their personal connections can serve as bridges, facilitating dialogue and understanding between nations.
However, the influence of charm and personal magnetism can also be a double-edged sword. While these qualities can be assets in diplomacy, they can also obscure underlying issues and create an illusion of progress where none truly exists. Overreliance on personal relationships can lead to superficial agreements that lack substance.
Sociologist Julia Sonnevend explores charm (and the related “charm offensive”) as a keyword of contemporary global politics. Successful political leaders deploy this form of personal magnetism—which relies on proximity to political tribes and manifests across a variety of media platforms—to appear authentic and accessible in their quest for power.
Sonnevend examines the mediated self-representations of a set of liberal, illiberal, and authoritarian political leaders, past and present: New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, Iran’s Mohammad Javad Zarif, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, and Germany’s Angela Merkel.
She considers how charm (or the lack of it) is wielded as a political tool, and the ways charm is weaponized to shape the international image of a country, potentially influencing decisions about military aid, trade, and even tourism. Sonnevend argues that charm will shape the future of democracy worldwide, as political values will be increasingly embodied by mediated personalities. These figures will rise and fall, often fading into irrelevance; but if we do not understand charm’s political power, we cannot grasp today’s fragile political moment.
Guest:
Julia Sonnevend is associate professor of sociology and communications at the New School for Social Research and the author of Stories Without Borders: The Berlin Wall and the Making of a Global Iconic Event.
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*This interview will be recorded on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
