The Rebirth of Right-Wing Charisma? The Cases of Jean-Marie Le Pen and Vladimir Zhirinovsky

Charisma has often been seen as an important factor in the rise of extreme Right parties, both in the inter-war era and more recently. However, empirical case studies of the two men who have been arguably the most-cited recent 'charismatic' leaders - Jean-Marie Le Pen and Vladimir Zhirinovsky - reveal little evidence for a Weber-like emotional mass bond, largely unconcerned with rational economic issues. Nevertheless, charisma remains a useful analytical concept if it is reconceptualised to refer to: (a) a coterie of affective core supporters rather than mass support; and (b) the way in which some leaders become, especially for less politically-concerned voters, the personification of politics.