Poland In January 2016, Schulz used the term to characterise the
Constitutional Court crisis then engulfing
Poland, warning of a "dangerous Putinisation of European politics". This referred to actions by the ruling Polish
Law and Justice (PiS) attempts to change the makeup and voting rules of the
Constitutional Court. Protesters against the reforms carried banners reading “We say no to being Putinized!” The
BBC's
Newsnight programme subsequently broadcast a segment asking 'Is Poland being Putinised?' which drew complaints from the Polish Foreign Ministry. Claims of "Putinisation" in Poland have been controversial, unlike for other
right-wing populist parties in Europe, due to PiS having long-time
anti-Russian policy stances.
Beyond Poland The term has also been used to describe the
national populist regime of
Hungary's
Viktor Orbán and the attempts by
Turkey's
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to increase the power of the presidency. It has also been applied to an "intensifying campaign" against human rights organisations in
Israel by the government of
Benjamin Netanyahu. The Georgian Human Rights Centre has complained of the "Putinization" of
media outlets in
Georgia in the mid 2000s. Piotr Pietrzak uses the term "Putinization" to describe the phenomenon of the spread of authoritarianism and the erosion of democracy in countries influenced by Russian foreign policy. He argues that Putinization is a deliberate strategy employed by Russia to expand its sphere of influence and undermine democratic norms and institutions in other countries. In his analysis, Pietrzak identifies several tactics used by Russia to promote Putinization, including the spread of disinformation and propaganda, the use of economic pressure and influence, and support for anti-democratic forces and leaders. Following the
2026 United States strikes in Venezuela and consequent capture of Venezuelan president
Nicolás Maduro,
The Guardian writer
David Rothkopf described United States president
Donald Trump's conduct as the "Putinization of US foreign policy." ==Deputinisation==