Can Putin be called a fascist? This is not a provocation, but a test of reality. If we strip away emotions and apply the criteria, the answer becomes frighteningly clear. Below is a systematic analysis based on the works of historians, political scientists, and philosophers.
What is fascism?
Fascism is not just dictatorship. It is an ideology that combines:
- cult of the leader,
- militarism,
- suppression of dissent,
- nationalism,
- mass mobilization,
- contempt for human rights.
In his essay Eternal Fascism, Umberto Eco outlined 14 characteristics, including the cult of tradition, fear of difference, the cult of action for action’s sake, contempt for the weak, the cult of death, and the use of “newspeak.”
Does this match Putin’s regime?
Yes. Here’s how:
1. Cult of personality
Putin is portrayed as a “savior,” “gatherer of lands,” and “guarantor of stability.” His image is placed beyond criticism, beyond law, beyond time.
2. Hyper-nationalism and chauvinism
The concept of the “Russian world,” denial of Ukrainian identity, and rhetoric about “rising from our knees” all fuel aggressive nationalism.
3. Militarism and cult of violence
War is not a tragedy but a “sacred mission.” Symbols like “Z” become articles of faith. Killing is justified by “higher interests.”
4. Political repression
Fear is a tool of governance. Murders, imprisonments, exiles—from Nemtsov to Navalny. Laws on “foreign agents” and “discrediting the army” are instruments of terror.
5. Mass mobilization
“Young Army,” “patriotic education,” and school lessons “about important things” are not education or upbringing but ideological drilling, preparation for submission.
6. Control of the media and newspeak
Independent media have been destroyed. Only the “right opinion” remains. Everything else is “enemy propaganda.” The language of power is lies and inverted reality: “special military operation” instead of war, “denazification” instead of aggression.
7. Contempt for the weak and the different
Hatred as state policy. LGBT people, migrants, pacifists—all branded as “enemies.” The state cultivates hate and fear.
8. Ideological continuity
Putin regularly cites Ivan Ilyin, a philosopher who openly supported fascism and Hitler.
9. Denial of democracy
Elections are fiction. The courts are tools. Parliament is a façade. The people are objects of manipulation.
10. Imperial expansion
The annexation of Crimea, the war in Georgia, the invasion of Ukraine—these are not “defense,” but expansion under the banner of “historical justice,” justified by the myth of a “great Russia.”
Why does this matter?
As long as we call fascism a “special path,” it continues to kill. Naming things for what they are is not an insult but a diagnosis. At minimum, it allows us to understand the nature of the threat, and for some, to build a strategy of resistance.
Conclusion
Putin is not just an authoritarian leader. By its characteristics, his regime is fascist. This is not an emotional label but a political and historical analysis. And the sooner it is recognized, the more chances there are to stop the catastrophe.