There is a phenomenon as old as politics itself, but which, despite its repetition, we still discover too late: the phenomenon of a public office that, after acquiring a certain amount of power, becomes a petty tyrant. Her transformation is not always surprising; It progresses often … Surreptitiously, imperceptibly, until one day those working around him discover that they are no longer facing the same person who celebrated electoral victory with modest gestures and words of public service.
The first sign is usually narcissism, disguised as confidence and determination. A constant need for recognition begins to emerge, an insatiable hunger for indiscriminate applause among the audience: the plenary session is the same as a pleasant press conference. Everything is a phase. Everything goes to satisfy the mirage of greatness. Image, more than action, becomes the ultimate goal of every political movement.
Outside, the character develops an image of closeness; Behind closed doors, an authoritarian tone emerges that surprises even his former colleagues. Then contempt for contradiction arises, and immediately turns into disloyalty. The collaborator who was valuable yesterday and today, if he dares to question, becomes expendable. The power agenda begins to write not to solve problems, but to protect the ego.
Another obvious symptom is an inability to tolerate anonymity. The little tyrant needs to occupy the scene: inaugurate, supervise, preside, appear. Administrative silence, the kind that often infuriates citizens, coexists with the leader’s overexposure in the workings of networking and protocol. Politics becomes a perpetual campaign aimed at keeping the flame of flattery burning. But perhaps the most disturbing feature was his exaggerated confidence in his own infallibility. He believes that he will never make a mistake. He believes that after coming to office, his judgment is unquestionable. Thus, little by little, he confines himself in an environment of subordinates who only confirm his decisions, creating a bubble that separates him not only from criticism, but from reality itself. He doesn’t listen.
Detecting these signs in a timely manner is not just a moral obligation; It is a defense of democracy. Because great tyrants always start small. And everyone, without exception, for the first time believes that they are necessary.