Psychologist’s analysis of Rama’s reaction to protesters: A leader’s behavior is understood in the moment they are confronted with a challenge

A psychology graduate has described Prime Minister Edi Rama’s reaction to the large protests, in which demonstrators are demanding his resignation and the departure of the government, as a display of “emotional coldness, selfishness and manipulation.”

Through a post on social media, Valdet Selimaj focuses on Rama’s behavior, noting that in a recent interview with international media he addressed the protesters with the phrase “Fuck You,” arguing that this reveals a great deal about the psychology that, according to him, lies behind his way of governing.

“Edi Rama’s insult toward the protesters is not simply a bad look — it may be a window into the psychology behind his leadership. This video is not a clinical diagnosis. It is a behavioral analysis. I mention the dark triad because it gives us the language to understand certain toxic patterns of leadership: -Narcissism: ego, grandiosity and hostility toward criticism. (Narcissistic tendencies are different from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Someone can have narcissistic tendencies without having NPD.) -Machiavellianism: manipulation, image control and power games. -Traits associated with psychopathy: emotional coldness, lack of empathy and aggressive disregard for others. (People can have psychopathic tendencies without being diagnosed with Psychopathy.) When leaders treat protesters with contempt, they may reveal more than anger. They may reveal how they see power, how they view dissent and how they see the people they are supposed to serve. A healthy leader does not need to humiliate the public in order to appear strong. A healthy leader can tolerate disagreement without becoming abusive. That is why this matters. Because the true test of leadership is not how someone behaves when they are praised. It is how they behave when they are challenged,” he says.