Political Leaders’ Commercialization and Depoliticization: The Case of Greece

Abstract

The leadership patterns that prevail in a country reflect not only its socio economic and political circumstances, but also the characteristics and democratic reflexes of its citizens. Since the establishment of Greece as an independent state to the present day, we have witnessed changing trends and popular preferences regarding the prevailing leadership models. In this context, the paper provides a conceptual analysis of the commercialization/consumption of the leader’s image as a political marketing tool and in particular, as a political product, taking into account the evolving voting behaviour and the changing perceptions of the electoral body. Quantitative research and more specifically survey with Greek voters was used to measure the changing perceptions of the electorate and to reflect the depoliticization of the leaders’ image. Comparisons were made both with the context and previous research on the specific Greek case by making a historical reference and with cases from other European states. Implications and limitations of the research are discussed.