Our friendly eastern neighbour uses the same playbook as his friend Berlusconi and admirer Trump. Every move is calculated to reflect positively on the hero, while vilifying his foes – all of it played on the web and on TV. Manipulating the media, creating a reality warp seem to be the modern populist’s tools – and Putin and his surrounding excel at that. In fact, that and merciless repression of dissent seem to be the only things that keep him in power – and riding high in opinion polls.
His willingness and ability to act abroad gives Vladimir Putin a big boost at home
Source: A strategy of spectacle