In an October 2022 speech to students, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, compared Europe to a garden, calling the region “the best combination of political freedom, economic prosperity and social cohesion that humankind has been able to build.” He contrasted Europe with the rest of the world, saying, “Most of the world is a jungle and the jungle could invade the garden.” The remarks triggered protests, particularly from officials and pundits in the Global South who accused Borrell of racism and “neocolonialist” arrogance. Even so, there is a great risk that the capacity for meeting global challenges, such as climate change, world poverty, and global health threats, will be badly damaged. However, economic interdependence and transnational ties will likely remain strong enough to prevent a complete lapse into anarchy and unrestrained competition.

The West’s hope for an international system based on democracy, rule of law, and multilateral cooperation-which had already lost plausibility in recent years-now looks wholly unrealistic.Ĭurrent trends and recent strategic documents point toward a further ramping up of geopolitical competition, increasing economic protectionism and fragmentation, and a loosening of the structures of the international order. The Russian war against Ukraine and the growing U.S.-China rivalry will have a profound effect on the future of the world’s political organization.

New world order