Politicking is a hypocritical, unprincipled policy. Very often, a clear line is drawn between politics and politicking. We will talk about this facet, as well as the essence of both of these concepts in the article.
Politics: the meaning
If politics is the implementation of state and national interests, the meaning of the second word implies caring exclusively for one's own, often extremely selfish and petty interests. Politikanism is an attempt to cover up your financial, power or any other interests with politics and concern for the welfare. The politician does not think about the future of the country and people. He is only interested in money and power.
In order to fully receive them, he is ready to weave tangled webs of intrigue, get involved in financial adventures, create corruption schemes and conspiracies in the highest echelons of power. When a politician is called by this word - this is a very serious accusation and in some way even an insult.
Examples of politicians: Pierre Laval
Since the word to which the article is devoted is inherently very expressive, it is very difficult to apply it while maintaining at least some objectivity. Nevertheless, in history there are examples of real politicians who changed their beliefs depending on the current situation and betrayed their people in order to realize their own ambitions (often quite small).
The first example is the French socialist politician and media mogul Pierre Laval. Throughout the 30s of the last century, he repeatedly received a ministerial portfolio and was one of the most influential (and popular) leaders of France, following a strictly anti-Nazi line in foreign policy. However, after the occupation of France in 1940, Laval went to cooperate with the German occupiers and became prime minister of the Vichy government.
Saving his career from collapse, he diligently served the German elite, allowing the Nazis to freely dominate French soil. Laval very quickly gained a reputation as a "personal lackey of Hitler." In 1946, he was convicted and executed for treason.
Hendrick de Mans
Another example of a politician of the same era is Hendrick de Mans. He was a charismatic leader of the Belgian socialists, called for the annihilation of fascism, and gathered violent anti-fascist and anti-capitalist demonstrations. However, in 1940, like Laval, he decided to save his political career by conspiring with the German occupation forces.
At the same time, de Mans views, as well as those of Laval at one time, were completely opposite: now he was no longer the mouthpiece of Belgian antifascism, but a man who openly declared "the collapse of the old capitalist world" and the "greatness of the Third Reich." After the war, this politician was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison, but escaped punishment by escaping to Switzerland on time.