From democracy to display: Albanian’s prime minister Edi Rama, symbolic power, and the leadership of authoritarian populism

This article contributes to critical leadership studies by building on Dennis Tourish’s (2023) call to confront the authoritarian and fascistic dimensions of contemporary leadership. Focusing on the case of an Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, it explores how emotional control, symbolic performance, and epistemic closure are used to consolidate power within democratic façades. While dominant leadership theories often celebrate charisma and moral vision, this paper critiques their normative assumptions by showing how such traits can legitimise exclusion and suppress dissent. Through a critical analysis of Edi Rama’s leadership, this article illustrates how populist authority is sustained through affective and narrative practices. In doing so, it extends current debates by offering a non-Western case that highlights how democratic structures may enact authoritarian-populist rule.