Publications of the FoundationIs a stable middle power order possible?
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  • As the post-Cold War liberal international order weakens and great power rivalry intensifies, global governance is often framed as a choice between continued US leadership, a China-centered order, or fragmentation into competing blocs. This paper considers a fourth scenario: a global order anchored on Europe and a coalition of capable middle powers, with the United States and China supporting its stability without seeking hegemonic dominance. In such an alternative framework, Europe would contribute institutional experience, economic weight, and multilateral capacity, while middle powers from the Global South would bring regional influence, demographic heft, and greater legitimacy in shaping global priorities. Together, they could form flexible, issue-based coalitions to address global challenges—from conflict mediation and economic cooperation to debt relief, climate transition, and technology access—particularly where great power consensus proves difficult to achieve.
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