In 2025, the narrative of globalisation has been replaced by geopolitics and great power competition. Today’s international system is increasingly shaped by four significant trends, influenced by strongman leadership: democratic backsliding, declining trust in the United States, fractured transatlantic relations, and a new mercantilism.
This research report from LSE IDEAS’s Europe Initiative and authored by Richard Higgott is supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. It discusses this shift from globalisation to geopolitics. The paper analyses the changing dynamics of world order including ‘middle powers’, the role of strongman leaders, and the implications for the European Union – concluding with strategic recommendations for European policymakers.