Power Vs perception: Leaders at Nato
Obama's ally on letting go and a fictional portrait of a real-life despot who didn't
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The Big Story:
Some of the attendees at the 75th anniversary summit1 in Washington, D.C. of the Nato military alliance are living, breathing examples of how much power depends on perception rather than reality.
US President Joe Biden has the most powerful job in the world but right now, he appears weak.
Britain’s Keir Starmer, 61, projects an impression of strength both for himself and his country as he attends his first international engagement as prime minister.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, 46, is a diminished figure despite his youthful mien and the powers of his office.
Germany’s Olaf Scholz is in the doldrums because his coalition government suffered a “painful humiliation” at the hands of the far-right AfD party in European Parliament elections in June.
This Week, Those Books:
A political and business high-flyer on where to find the source of real power.
A Nobel Prize-winner’s historical novel on how one man wielded power like a machete against his people.
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