There is a contradiction in politics that I have been noticing for a long time. We love to talk about honesty. Clean politics, justice, principle... These things get applause.
But when it comes to the ballot box, we see that these values are not always reciprocated. This is not unique to us.
Jeremy Corbyn is one of the names that suggest this.
To understand Corbyn, it is enough to look at his life rather than what he says. He did not rebuild his life after becoming leader. He didn't ride in convoys, he refused official vehicles. He rode the subway and used a bicycle. He opposed the high allowances granted to MPs; he also objected to his own salary increase. He didn't move from his ordinary neighborhood in London. Photographs of him taking his bin out were dismissed as “PR”, but it was a natural part of his life for years. There was no distance between what he said and how he lived. That's why no one could call him “manipulative”.
But politics does not work only along these lines. Politics that smells of populism is more appealing to the masses, but it does not tell the truth; it comforts. It simplifies complex problems and ignores processes that require patience. It says what is pleasant, not what is difficult. It promises results, not costs.
Corbyn did not enter this language. He did not use any discourse he found wrong because he thought it would bring votes. He did not create fear, he did not invent enemies, he did not fuel the “us and them” divide. The following sentence he said after losing the election summarized this stance:
“I have never defended any statement that I believe is wrong in order to win.”
So he was saying: The vote may increase, the wind may turn, but I will not walk on a path I know is wrong. This was not naivety; it was a conscious choice.
When we look at world politics today, we see a similar picture in many countries. We are going through a period in which lies, fear and easy promises are quickly responded to and those who say “immediate solutions” are applauded. Populist language gives hope in the short term, but in the long term it magnifies the problems. Because it postpones facing reality.
Corbyn is not a figure of power today. But he is the name of an unpolluted line. And sometimes that is more lasting than an election win.
So the question is:
When we talk about winning, what promises do we surrender to?
And more importantly, what are we willing to lose?
This question is not just for one leader, but for all of us.