The axis of the offended: How Vladimir Putin and other authoritarian leaders play politics with pretended offense

The motif of offense in international politics is a widespread phenomenon. Politicians pretend to be offended and use offense as a political tool. Even if it is imaginary, offense can develop tremendous power when it is used as a means of national and international politics or to maintain power.

Premeditated offence is intended to explain political actions, to win supporters for one's own cause, to delegitimize the political opponent. Authoritarian rulers such as Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan make particularly extensive use of alleged insults. Democratically elected populists such as Donald Trump or the PiS party and Jaróslaw Kaczyński also use insults in election campaigns and political debates.

Michael Thumann, foreign affairs correspondent for the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT and author of the book "Revanche - Wie Putin das bedrohlichste Regime der Welt geschaffen hat" (Revanche - How Putin created the most threatening regime in the world), will shed light on the age of political grievance at FRIAS Freiburg Horizons.