Comedians in Politics Just Isn’t Funny Anymore
The number of satirists winning office shows political life needs a radical reinvention.
Beppe Grillo gives himself five stars.
Photographer: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images
This is the age of comedians in politics. Even in Germany, with its largely humorless political tradition, one of them is trying to bring a floundering major party back to life.
In recent years, satirists have reached remarkable political heights. The Five Star Movement, founded by comedian Beppe Grillo, has been part of the last two Italian governments. Volodymyr Zelenskiy used the popularity of his comedy show to become president of Ukraine and to consolidate the most political power of anyone who ever held the office. Jimmy Morales joked and blustered his way to the presidency of Guatemala in 2015. Last year, Marjan Sarec, who used to mock Slovenian politicians for a living, became his country’s prime minister.