The handing down of power from father to son sounds like it belongs to the age of kings and emperors. Yet dynasties continue to thrive in democracies as well as dictatorships, as Canada’s current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, demonstrates. A 2018 study found that more than one in ten leaders worldwide came from families where a close relative was already involved in politics.
Now dynastic rule appears to be entrenching itself further in south-east Asia. After four decades in charge, and following another stage-managed election, Cambodia’s authoritarian leader Hun Sen this year handed over the prime ministership to his son, Hun Manet. The West Point-educated leader reportedly has a more diplomatic manner than his father, but there is no sign that he plans to diverge from him politically.
