Nicolo Machiavelli’s masterpiece, THE PRINCE, had served as a continuous subject of intense debate and analysis for political scientists and leaders over the centuries. It offers a practical approach to obtain and maintain power in the face of political turmoil and shifting of alliances.
Machiavellian doctrine surrounds around one of the controversial yet influential assertations that the political leader whom he called a Prince must be willing to act wickedly and immorally to get into power and achieve his goals. This theory is mainly attributed to the famous perspective of him “the end justifies the means” which defines that the prince must not be constrained by moral and ethical clutches when it comes to gaining or maintaining power. Machiavelli deemed it unnecessary to have all good qualities in his prince but he deemed it necessary and very useful to show people that he had them all. Some lines of the passage from the Chapter 18th of his book need to be mentioned.
“He (the prince) may appear to him who sees and hears him altogether merciful, faithful, humane, upright and religious. There is nothing more necessary to appear to have than this last quality, inasmuch as men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, because it belongs to everybody to see you, to few to come in touch with you. Everyone sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.”
Machiavellian perspective shines well when we see and observe the political career of one of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and currently the most popular political leader in the country. His party’s rise to power in KPK in 2013 and 5 years later in federal exemplifies the necessity of cunning and adaptability. A Prince must possess the qualities of both the lion and the fox, according to Machiavelli.
The former Prime Minister leveraged his status of celebrity as a Cricket Legend and a renowned Philanthropist and capitalized sentiments of the masses to build a political base through his party. His initial success was rooted in a narrative of anti-corruption, portraying himself and his party against the entrenched political dynasties of Pakistan. His rhetoric often posed his political rivals as corrupt elites, encouraging the Machiavellian assertion that a Prince must maintain a favorable image among his people and exploit the public sentiments in every possible way.
The ex-Premier’s political career is incomplete without the share of Machiavellian doctrine. His government faced numerous challenges, including the Pandemic, economic unrest and inflation leading to nationwide distress and dissatisfaction.
He adopted a confrontational stance by alleging his political rivals in a foreign conspiracy to sabotage his government. This narrative served to deflect criticism and rally his supporters, mirroring Machiavelli’s advice that the narrative must be controlled by the Prince.
His approach has also been marked by a series of undemocratic actions, such as dissolving the National Assembly to evade a vote of no-confidence. This tactic demonstrates a readiness to disregard constitutional frameworks for the sake of political survival, echoing Machiavelli’s perspective that a Prince must be willing to act immorally when required.
His political era started to end as his relationship with the establishment deteriorated, who were staunch supporters of him during his government. Withdrawal of support by the Establishment was a crucial turning point, as Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of maintaining alliances. The former PM’s failure to navigate this relationship led to his ousting in April 2022. His subsequent imprisonment and the crackdown on PTI activists reveal the harsh realities of politics in Pakistan.
PTI has tried to picture their leader and their party as a martyr for democracy, claiming that their downfall was orchestrated by external forces along with the internal players. This narrative aligns with Machiavelli’s insights on the importance of perception in politics, a Prince must craft a compelling story to maintain support among the people so that he could never be despised or hated. However, the reality of the Ex-Prime Minister’s leadership equipped with increasing authoritarianism and extreme reliance on the establishment differs from his claims of being an anti-establishment leader.
As he navigates the aftermath of his actions, the lessons from Machiavelli still remain pertinent. A Prince must be adaptable, strategic, and aware of the changing landscape of political power. Whether he can reclaim his political stature or fade into obscurity will depend on his ability to learn from the Machiavellian principles that have shaped his political life earlier and the mistakes he made during his ruling period.
