Leadership is an important quality for any person. However, for the president of the country’s leader, it is fundamental. In this essay, I would like to compare the leadership styles of two current presidents: Andrzej Duda the President of Poland and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin the President of Russia. First, I would like to briefly write about the president of the Russian Federation, about his biography and history as president, as this influenced his current leadership style. Continuing with a short biography of the president of Poland. And then comparing them with each other.
Firstly, a brief biography and history of the president of the Russian Federation. 20 years ago, Vladimir Putin appeared at the top of the Russian government as a person from the security services and as an adherent of the ideology of a strong state. However, today he is an authoritarian leader who is bogged down in the political struggle with the West. As many says, if Putin resigned as president in 2008, he would be remembered as the most successful leader of the Russian Federation. Therefore, I would like to divide the paragraph on his leadership style into two parts. Since his leadership style has changed since 2009.
Having understood his biography, it becomes clear where his negotiating style came from. The negotiation style that is part of the leadership style is a combination of its professional qualities, individual character traits, behavior patterns and communication features that determine the forms and methods of its interaction with negotiating partners which in total gives a leadership style of Vladimir Rutin. Putin served in the Leningrad Directorate of the KGB (Committee for State Security) of the USSR, then in the First Main Directorate of the KGB of the USSR in foreign intelligence, as he worked in Germany. (Rogov, 2019) This can explain the fact that Putin is very strong in his speeches and statements and powerful charisma only helps him in this. Vladimir Putin is also a charismatic leader.
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His authority is recognized not only in Russia, but also abroad. In 2011, he took second place in the list of the most influential people in the world according to Forbes magazine in the USA. Putin can be the most hyped brand in Russia, as he comes to mind when people talk about the country. At the beginning of his presidency, Putin, after many years of crisis and chaos, relatively stabilized the country and its economic system by establishing a democracy. Thus, began an era of rapid economic growth of seven percent per year. The country’s revenues grew even faster.
At this time, I would call Putin a democratic leader. However, after this, the Russian president changed course to anti-liberal and anti-Western and The Russian Orthodox Church began to have an impact on the political system. A change of the course was also facilitated by a series of crises and three wars (Georgia, Ukraine and Syria) formed the basis of the second part of Putin’s rule. Economic growth fell by 0.6% per year. This meant stagnation and an inability to catch up with the United States and the European Union. (Rogov, 2019) It’s hard to give a leadership style to Putin’s leadership during the second decade.
Since this cannot be called complete authoritarianism, just as it cannot be said that it is still a democracy. Such a transformation of the regime in the country as well as the leadership of the president leadership took place against the backdrop of an economic downturn. Currently, the Putin president course is to strengthen the country through the ‘traditional values”, religion, and aggressive propaganda. And, his tendency to build up the military power of the state. Which has always been a distinctive feature of the Russian Federation.
Secondly, a brief biography and history of the president of the Poland Andrzej Duda. In 1996, Andrzej graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. And soon at the same university he began to work in the department of legal proceedings. In January 2005, he received a doctorate in law, and before his tenure, President Duda was a member of the Polish Lower House from 2011 to 2014 and the European Parliament from 2014 to 2015. (Polishnews, 2015)He is a member of the political party Law and Justice. The party adheres to a national conservative ideological orientation and maintains close ties with the Catholic Church. His policy was and is aimed at pro-Polish cultural and historical politics. Poland is one of the few countries in the world that has banned abortion after decades of full resolution during the rule of the communist regime, which shows how the church has an impact on Polish politics. During the election, Andrzej Duda’s goal was, on the one hand, to get the votes of believing Catholics, on the other, to get the votes of those voters who have not yet made their choice.
Thirdly, starting a comparison of these two presidents, because it seems to me that the political vector which the country adheres directly depends on the president, I will also compare the political particularities of countries. Starting from the ruling political parties, I would like to note that both presidents are supporters of right-wing politics. This means that they support a conservative approach and traditional values.
Further, it should be noted that both countries are religious because the percentage of religious people in both countries exceeds the number of people who do not consider themselves religious followers. So, in Poland, 80 percent belong to religious people, and in Russia 79 percent. However, Russia, being mostly an adherent of Orthodoxy, does not so protect and promote the Catholic church. For example, in 2002, the Apostolic administrations were transformed into full-fledged dioceses, which provoked an official protest from the Moscow Patriarchate and a series of anti-Catholic rallies. Without an explanation of reasons, Bishop Mazur and three priests were expelled from the country. (Uzzell, 2002) Such activities cannot be represented in Poland, as Catholicism is more prevalent in it. Religion in Poland plays a rather high role in the life of the country.
Catholicism has historically been the dominant religion. The state provides financial support to traditional faiths. However, despite this, it is difficult to imagine that laws with the aim of ‘countering the insult of religious beliefs and feelings of citizens’ will appear in Poland as this law appeared in Russia. Since neither the President of Poland nor the constitution allows such laws to be introduced. Poland, a Catholic country with strong anti-abortion legislation, however, Russia as a no less religious country allows abortion at the discretion of a woman. It is also impossible not to note how presidents present themselves in the global political arena.
“Vladimir Putin Russian president speaks the language of ultimatums and always raises rates”- said Pavel Klimkin. As well as he mentions that European countries and America are more likely to act as a team. Not to mention that recently the presidential termination was approved by the State Duma and the Federation Council, as well as by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, which I cannot imagine in a European country like Poland. Furthermore, the leadership styles of the two heads of state can be compared.
If before they were painfully similar, both styles were diplomatic, but now I would call them diametrically opposite. The course chosen by presidents is also different. If the president of Poland is aimed at establishing alliances not only with the European Union but also with America and Ukraine.
The Russian president is interested in establishing alliances mainly with the former USSR countries. This shows the difference in the current politics of countries and leadership styles. The difference in approach during the election is also noticeable. Putin during his campaign speeches never tried to divide people into religious ones and not. While Andrzej Duda during his speech tried to get the votes of Catholics. However, the two politicians have similarities, since both are focused on traditional values in their election campaigns, they talk about benefits for young families, about free kindergartens, etc.
In conclusion, despite the similarities between countries, the leadership style of presidents are quite different from each other, and how they can afford to behave, as well as in their negotiation and leadership style. So, in the particularity of the Russian president’s rule includes his permissiveness and rigidity both in negotiations and in his leadership style, in connection with the country’s powerful weapons, as well as his past in the KGB and personal qualities. The Polish president Andrzej Duda is not so well-known among people who are not fond of politics, but his leadership style can be confidently called democratic with a share of the influence of the Catholic Church.
