The world is changing rapidly, and the West is losing its role as the only pole of power, writes FP. More and more centres of influence are forming beyond its reach. In these conditions, Western countries will have to actively manoeuvre to stay afloat, says the author of the article.
In 2024, the BRICS bloc expanded to BRICS+ when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined. Western countries were not even invited to the annual BRICS summits, where Chinese officials ranted about the advent of a new era, FP writes. Western sceptics only rolled their eyes, claiming it was a ‘marriage of convenience’
It may be premature to talk about the collapse of the West. But there is a clear shift from an era of limitless Western dominance to an era of challenging that influence. This does not necessarily bode well for the West’s demise. However, change is inevitable. Even those who are sceptical about China’s continued economic rise, Russia’s long-term prospects as an empire, or the viability of the BRICS+ project must admit one thing. To consolidate their role as world leaders in the coming decades, Western countries must adjust to rapidly changing realities. A monumental shift in demography, share of global wealth, cultural prestige and other key indicators of civilisational power is overdue. Although we cannot yet predict exactly where it will lead, some changes are gradually taking shape.
The old techniques that have long helped Western countries maintain influence – for example, the emphasis on the economic power of the G7 to decisively influence world affairs, or the idea that Western countries and their allies are ahead of the curve and should serve as a guiding star for the rest of the world – simply do not work under the changed circumstances.
The world is facing epochal changes as more and more significant centres of power and influence are emerging beyond the reach of the West. These include its obvious rivals such as Russia and China, but also imaginary partners such as India, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which clearly have no intention of remaining at the mercy of the West forever. It will not be enough for the West to simply endure these changes – it will have to actively manoeuvre to maintain global influence.
Some would like to draw inspiration from the World Wars and the Cold War, when Western democracies worked hard against rivals, and as a result emerged victorious, asserted their influence and expanded. In the emerging era of ‘non-Westernisation’, when the troubled past of relations between Western and non-Western countries has become the focus of historical attention, this analogy no longer works.
Postcolonial grievances can take on new meaning. Behind them are not only the memory of past oppression, but also the maintenance of a secondary status in world affairs even after independence. To take a concrete example: France has in recent years barely maintained its influence in West Africa, while countries such as Mali and Niger have been squeezing the former coloniser with great enthusiasm.
In a wider context, a number of Western governments have come under global criticism for supporting Israel and its war in Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attack. Characteristically, Israel, its American supporters and other Western states are criticised in the language of ‘resistance to colonialism and illegal settlements’.
Those who want to silence such critics should be circumspect. The diversity of voices setting the tone in world affairs will only increase in the future. When South Africa not only filed a lawsuit against Israel’s war at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, but also received the support of a number of nations, we saw a prelude to what is to come, the author believes.