The President’s Son
December 3. 2024
According to recent reports, President Biden has granted a presidential pardon to his son as he prepares to leave office. In my view, this shouldn't be allowed—it reeks of nepotism. Yet, Biden is hardly the first to blur the lines between personal and political. Former President Trump made no secret of his business dealings with his children while in office. However is not noble for a father to rescue his child?
The presidency represents the pinnacle of power, a role meant to stand apart, above the fray. A less prominent leader might be primus inter pares—first among equals—but the president is an island, with even the vice president offering little consolation.
In recent years, the sons of presidents have frequently found themselves in the spotlight, often for the wrong reasons. Just days ago, the son of the president of Suriname resigned from his position and publicly accused his father of various misdeeds. Similarly, the son of Colombia's president has been embroiled in controversy. These stories echo the case of another Surinamese president's son, who now sits behind bars in the United States. Remember the nephews of the wife of the president of Venezuela bind bars in de United States?
The list doesn’t stop there, and it isn’t limited to sons—daughters and female leaders have their share of scandals too, I think.
This brings to mind the book Alleen aan de Top (Alone at the Top) by Marilieke Engbers and Pim Bouwman. Fittingly, the book begins with a CEO (the equivalent of a president-director) who, after a tense phone call with a journalist, receives another call. This time, it’s his wife, in tears over a problem involving their son. Engbers and Bouwman reveal how the demands of leadership—especially during crises—can consume CEOs to the point where they neglect their families. This neglect often creates ripples of conflict in their relationships and their parenting.
Why does this happen, and how can it change? These are just some of the questions to be explored during the book discussion on December 10th.
The stories of presidential sons—and daughters—are not just scandals for the tabloids; they reveal the human cost of power and the delicate balance leaders must strike between their public and private lives.
Register to discuss the book on December 2nd, 2024: https://www.universityofgovernance.com/university-of-governance-5-0
Miguel Goede
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