Do political leaders deserve a break?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, pictured, visiting the Siemens Energy plant, part of German industrial conglomerate Siemens in Berlin, cancelled his summer holiday to deal with unrest across the country. (Reuters)

As summer draws to a close and people in the northern hemisphere return to work, many political leaders are taking holidays, claiming it helps them recharge their batteries and perform better than those who remain in their posts. However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer decided to cancel his summer break to deal with unrest across the country, highlighting the gravity of the situation and his commitment to restoring order.
Starmer’s decision stands in stark contrast to that of former UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who chose to remain on holiday in Greece as the Afghan government, propped up by British personnel and resources, collapsed and the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021. Raab’s choice, which he later regretted, sparked widespread public outrage.
In some countries, taking a vacation is practically taboo for politicians. In India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is almost unthinkable for a minister to take a week or two off. Meanwhile, Chinese leaders, unsurprisingly, tend to take vacations in secret.
Those opposed to leaders going on holiday argue that they are elected to serve their countries, not themselves. During their term in office, they argue, they should always remain on duty, setting an example for others. At the very least, they should be available when a major crisis erupts. In August 2022, for example, French President Emmanuel Macron faced harsh criticism after being photographed on a jet ski at his holiday home in Fort de Brégançon as the country grappled with unprecedented wildfires.
Leaders are often criticized for taking extravagant trips while many workers cannot afford vacations. Lavish vacations can seem unpatriotic, and when public officials, such as U.S. Supreme Court justices, travel on private jets and stay at luxury resorts, paid for by those seeking to influence them, it inevitably smacks of corruption.
By contrast, some argue that leaders should be allowed to spend time with their families – a view echoed by several Guardian readers after Starmer cancelled his summer break. Leaders, according to this view, should model a healthy work-life balance.
Another argument in favor of managers taking vacations is that short breaks can improve decision-making and overall performance. A 2023 study, for example, found that vacations “significantly improve” the accuracy of equity analysts’ earnings forecasts. According to the study, the benefit was equivalent to gaining an additional 20 months of experience.
Conversely, decision fatigue has been shown to cause a noticeable decrease in performance. A 2019 study found that as nurses continued to work without breaks, their decisions became increasingly conservative and less efficient in their use of resources. Surgeons also benefit from breaks: One study showed that the intervals between a surgeon’s operations directly affected mortality rates following hip fracture surgery. The researchers suggested that reducing decision fatigue could lead to better treatment options, ultimately improving health outcomes.
More generally, taking breaks at work has been shown to increase productivity by improving mental and physical health, as well as overall safety. That’s why most national and international labour standards require regular rest periods.
For political leaders, good judgment is crucial, given that their countries depend on them to deal with unexpected crises, absorb new facts and data, assess the implications of policies, and make difficult decisions. But the more tired a leader is, the more likely he or she is to resort to habits, false analogies, and heuristics, undermining his or her ability to govern effectively.
Finding the right balance between taking time off and staying alert is certainly no easy feat. In France, for example, ministers must take vacations two hours outside Paris so they can meet their obligations if necessary. Similarly, when China faced devastating floods last year, President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff and government experts were summoned to his official vacation residence in Beidaihe, a coastal resort not far from Beijing.
This is not to say that leaders should indulge in extravagant vacations. Instead, they should prioritize moderation over excess and avoid conflicts of interest and undue influence. The last thing voters want to see, especially when they are being asked to tighten their belts, is their elected representatives enjoying lavish, paid vacations. That said, there are compelling reasons to give leaders time to rest, clear their heads, and recharge so they are prepared for the challenges ahead. — Project Syndicate
• Ngaire Woods is Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford.