Political animals: how politicians and monkeys overthrow their leaders

The behaviors displayed by politicians have a lot in common with those of some of our closest ape relatives. Like chimpanzees, political big dogs often resort to outright aggression to dominate their weaker rivals. Examples include former US President Donald Trump outrunning other world leaders, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson giving authoritarian hugs to his rivals, and Russian President Vladimir Putin riding shirtless in a wild display of machismo. These interactions are usually meant to make the contenders think twice before taking a chance on the crown. But a successful leader needs more than physical intimidation to become an alpha. He or she needs the political skills to build and hold on to a base of support. Visit our website: https://www.politico.eu/ ——– Social media ——– Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/POLITICOEurope | https://twitter.com/LivePOLITICO Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/POLITICOeu Follow us on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/politico-europe/

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