The international liberal (dis)order, 80 years after the end of World War II

Gustavo Palomares

At a time when the international system is being redefined, Gustavo Palomares offers a rigorous and up-to-date analysis of the fractures within the liberal order that emerged after World War II. Eighty years after the end of that conflict, and amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, his reflection delves deeply into the crisis of Western leadership, the tension between authoritarianism and democracy, and the growing prominence of powers such as China and Russia.

The document argues that we are witnessing the definitive collapse of the international balance established in 1945, and that the current scenario is characterized by a chaotic “interregnum” marked by proxy wars, disinformation, hybrid threats, and the decline of the collective security model that shaped the postwar period. The return of Donald Trump to power and his unilateralist vision exacerbate this situation, further weakening the regulatory role of the United States in the global system.

Palomares emphasizes the urgency of rethinking European security from a perspective of strategic autonomy, without abandoning the Atlantic alliance, and highlights the role of the Global South in the reconfiguration of geopolitical influences. This analysis not only interprets the present but also invites forward-looking reflection on possible peace scenarios and the redesign of a more balanced international architecture.

This text is a fundamental contribution to understanding the contemporary international disorder and the challenges facing democracies in the 21st century.