Insight Investment

Gideon Rachman is Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator at the Financial Times, where he has been providing expert analysis on global politics and international relations since 2006. With a career spanning decades, Gideon previously worked as a senior editor at The Economist, specialising in Asian and American affairs.

The world stands at the precipice of a new tripolar paradigm, marked by shifting geopolitical alliances and emerging power centres. This evolution is principally driven by the increasing assertiveness of China, the increasingly ambivalent attitude of the US to its role as global hegemon, and the resurgence of Russia as a formidable player on the international stage. For the EU, this tripolar dynamic necessitates a profound reassessment of its security and defence policies.

As Europe navigates this complex landscape, it must grapple with the implications of a less predictable US security guarantee and the pressing need to bolster its own defence capabilities. At the same time, the post-Cold War system of globalisation is receding as the US scepticism about the benefits of free trade is challenging the EU’s economic model.

In this paper, Gideon Rachman, Chief Foreign Affairs commentator of the Financial Times, outlines the implications of the emerging order for Europe and the challenges it faces as it navigates a less certain geopolitical environment.