Ditmir Bushatit and Marc Saxer: The End of History

2025-05-31 19:18:00, Politikë CNA

Ditmir Bushati in the next podcast "Public Square" spoke with Marc Saxer, Director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation for Asia and the Pacific.

The conversation focused on the new dynamics of competition between great powers in a rapidly changing international order.

At the center of the debate were the transformation of the global security architecture, the balance between great powers, the challenges of Europe, and the prospect of a new order - International Order 2.0.

Saxer stressed that Europe must relearn the realpolitik of geopolitics and position itself as an autonomous actor in a multipolar world, through careful maneuvering between the US, China, India and Russia. He warned that if Europe does not adapt to the new reality, it risks no longer being an “actor” but “part of the menu.”

Another point of discussion was the future of social democracy, which, according to Saxer, faces a crisis of legitimacy and pressure to rebuild the post-90s social contract.

At a time when increased spending on defense, infrastructure, and the energy transition is required, the challenge lies in the question of who will pay the price: the middle class, the owners of capital, or social protection. This financial and political clash fuels the “populist state,” a climate of distrust and fear among citizens that threatens the very foundations of liberal democracy.

The Asian perspective was also in focus, where Saxer argues that there has never been a functioning liberal order like in Europe. Asia is governed by the logic of sovereignty and balances of power, not by Western universalism. In this context, Europe must accept that the new global order will be the result of a negotiation between civilizations, not an imposition from a single center.

Topics discussed also included the role of the digital order, where US-China technological competition is redimensioning global power; the challenges of debt in the South, immigration, climate change, and the disruption of global supply chains.

In conclusion, Saxer emphasizes that in a world with paralyzed multilateral institutions and without a dominant power, Europe must take the initiative in building a new global order, based on balance, equal cooperation, and strategic vision.

The time to act is now – otherwise, we risk a return to 19th-century-style international anarchy./ CNA