There seem to be more authoritarian figures than ever before. But is this true? And if so, what do these leaders have in common? Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present joins Alex Andreou to explore how authoritarianism has changed over time, and why the greatest strengths of ‘strongmen’ could also be their biggest downfall.

“Leader personality cults often present them as omnipotent.”
“The same instincts of these leaders to win followers domestically can cause their downfall on the international stage.”
“Financial networks are key to controlling people.”

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Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producers: Jet Gerbertson, Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Artwork by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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Strongmen behaving badly – The changing face of populists