Karisma dan Otoritarianisme: Analisis Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Presiden Burkina Faso terhadap Kualitas Demokrasi Nasional

Authors

M Billy Multazam Universitas Sunan Gresik
Abdulloh Moh Rifqi Universitas Sunan Gresik
Abdurrahman Marzuki Universitas Sunan Gresik

DOI:

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analysis the relationship between presidential leadership in Burkina Faso and the quality of national democracy by focusing on the dynamics of charisma and authoritarianism in political leadership. Burkina Faso is situated within an unstable hybrid democratic system, marked by the popular uprising in 2014 and the military coup in 2022, reflecting fragile democratic institutions and executive dominance. The research method employed is a qualitative approach using theoretical analysis that integrates authoritarian, participatory, and laissez-faire leadership theories to assess presidential leadership characteristics and their implications for democratic practices. Data are analysis descriptively and analytically by examining political, social, and economic dynamics influencing national democratic stability. The results show that authoritarian-oriented leadership has significantly contributed to the deterioration of democratic quality in Burkina Faso. Charismatic elements of leadership are frequently utilized to strengthen regime legitimacy, while authoritarian practices, including the use of informal self-defense groups such as the Volunteers for the Defense of the Patherland (VDP), undermine democratic mechanisms. Restrictions on press freedom and pressure on the media further exacerbate democratic decline. The conclusion of this study emphasizes that improving democratic quality in Burkina Faso requires a transition toward more democratic and service-oriented leadership, the strengthening of democratic institutions, and the protection of press freedom as essential pillars of democratization.

Keywords: Authoritarianism, Burkina Faso, Charisma, Democracy, Leadership.

References

Arthur, P. (2025). Countering the wave of democratic backsliding and the crisis of democracy in West Africa. Insight on Africa. https://doi.org/10.1177/09750878251315915

Attoe, A. D. (2024). Why democracy fails in Africa. The Philosophical Forum, 55(3), 267-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/phil.12367

Dim, E. E., & Schafer, M. H. (2024). Age, political participation, and political context in Africa. The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 79(5), gbae015. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbae015

Fariaty, F., Mustari, N., Nasrulhaq, N., & Yusriadi, Y. (2023). Village democracy: Voters perceptions in simultaneous village head elections in Polewali Mandar Regency in 2021. Musamus Journal of Public Administration, 5(2), 86-95. https://doi.org/10.35724/mjpa.v5i2.4696

Fierens, M., Frère, M.-S., & Mertens, L. (2024). A cog in a wheel? Journalism under pressure during coups d'état in Burkina Faso. Media, War & Conflict. https://doi.org/10.1177/17506352241272893

Graham, L., & Kocadal, O. (2023). The role of International Civil Society Organizations in democratization: A crisp-set QCA approach to anti-corruption in Ghana. PLoS ONE, 18(3), e0282997. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282997

Hafidzi, A. H., Suharto, S., & Fauzi, A. (2023). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan, lingkungan kerja, dan kompensasi terhadap kinerja karyawan dengan motivasi sebagai variabel intervening (Literature review manajemen sumber daya manusia). Jurnal Ekonomi Manajemen Sistem Informasi, 4(3), 501-513. https://doi.org/10.31933/jemsi.v4i3.1288

Hagberg, S. (2023). Memory making, memory marketing: Mobile films, social media, and popular struggle in Burkina Faso. Africa, 93(4), 567-586. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001972023000529

Hilton, S. K., Arkorful, H., & Martins, A. (2021). Democratic leadership and organizational performance: The moderating effect of contingent reward. Management Research Review, 44(7), 1042-1058. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-04-2020-0237

Hutagalung, B., Sihotang, H., Watrianthos, R., & Watrianthos, R. (2024). Bibliometric analysis of the 2019–2023 leadership mapping of Indonesia's chief schools. International Education Trend Issues, 2(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.56442/ieti.v2i1.369

Jenkins, J. C. (2021). Innovative methods in the study of protest: Editor's introduction. American Behavioral Scientist, 65(6), 759-768. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642211005527

Lyu, X. (2024). Unveiling the nexus: Digital transformation leadership, business model innovation, and performance in China's banking sector. International Journal of Science and Business, 32(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.58970/IJSB.2287

Nurainiah, N., Murniati, A. R., & Khairuddin, K. (2023). Evaluation of teacher leadership in the implementation of independent learning curriculum in secondary education units. Journal of Education Research and Evaluation, 7(1), 170-178. https://doi.org/10.23887/jere.v7i1.57227

Okoli, A. C., Nwangwu, C., & Ezirim, G. E. (2024). Interrogating the dynamics of social movements in Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 59(4), 1234-1250. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231164175

Pillay, P., & Kikasu, E. (2024). Servant leadership style: A key to effective good governance and sustainable public service delivery in Africa. Open Journal of Political Science, 14(2), 234-252. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojps.2024.142015

Prayogo, A. (2022). Bawaslu: Pengawasan dan tantangan dalam mewujudkan pemilu demokratis. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (JISIP), 11(2), 234-245. https://doi.org/10.33366/jisip.v11i2.2876

Rietig, K., & Dupont, C. (2021). Presidential leadership styles and institutional capacity for climate policy integration in the European Commission. Policy and Society, 40(1), 19-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2021.1936913

Saidou, A., & Honig, L. (2024). Legitimising regimes and legalising self-defence groups: The case of Burkina Faso's VDPs. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 62(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X24000090

Steuer-Dankert, L., & Leicht-Scholten, C. (2022). Perceiving diversity – An explorative approach in a complex research organization. Administrative Sciences, 12(2), 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12020068

Wang, H., Guan, B., & Luo, J. (2022). The impact of authoritarian leadership on employee creativity: The joint moderating roles of benevolent leadership and power distance. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 37(6), 527-541. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-05-2021-0274