Portrait of Thabo Mbeki
Center-right · Leader · From history

Thabo Mbeki

President of South Africa, 1999 to 2008

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Nelson Mandela’s successor promoted an “African Renaissance” and market-friendly policies, but was criticized for his stance on HIV and AIDS.

Thabo Mbeki sits in the right-authoritarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: leaning free market and slightly authoritarian. The clearest positions are strongly institutional on institutions, leaning tech-optimist on technology and leaning interventionist on interventionism. The profile is close to the middle on war and peace.

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Where Thabo Mbeki sits on ten dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this person's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomyLeaning free market
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authoritySlightly authoritarian
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureSlightly traditional
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationSlightly globalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentSlightly nature-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceCentered on war and peace
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsStrongly institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional
🙏ReligionSlightly religious
SecularReligious
🛡️InterventionismLeaning interventionist
Non-interventionistInterventionist

People most like Thabo Mbeki

Brian Mulroney Prime Minister of Canada, 1984 to 199399%Valéry Giscard d’Estaing President of France, 1974 to 198199%John Major Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1990 to 199799%Luís Montenegro Prime Minister of Portugal, 2024 to present99%David Brooks American columnist99%Adolfo Suárez Prime Minister of Spain, 1976 to 198199%Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany, 2005 to 202199%Andrej Plenković Prime Minister of Croatia, 2016 to present99%

People furthest from Thabo Mbeki

Emma Goldman Russian-born anarchist and writer, 1869 to 194014%Leo Tolstoy Russian novelist and moral thinker, 1828 to 191016%Murray Bookchin American social theorist, 1921 to 200618%John Lennon British musician and peace activist, 1940 to 198020%

Political views closest to Thabo Mbeki

Liberal conservatismCombines free markets and limited government with respect for institutions, tradition…99%OrdoliberalismFavors competitive markets protected by firm rules and a strong state, the basis of…99%Social market economyKeeps markets competitive but backs them with rules, social insurance and partnership…98%Third Way centrismCombines market economics with moderate social policy and pragmatic problem solving.98%

Read more about Thabo Mbeki

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Percentages show how close two profiles are across all ten dimensions. Including a person here is for study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.