This 2026 global briefing examines the institutional strain and security dilemmas facing major world powers and international bodies. In the United States, a constitutional debate is unfolding over the expansion of executive power regarding surveillance, artificial intelligence, and trade. Simultaneously, the European Union struggles to balance border security and migration policies with its core democratic values while managing political instability on its eastern flank. Tensions in the Indo-Pacific remain high as allies watch the transactional diplomacy between Washington and Beijing, particularly concerning the future of Taiwan. The Vatican is navigating a complex diplomatic path, attempting to maintain moral authority on humanitarian issues amidst friction with U.S. leadership. Finally, the report details a global landscape of conflict, ranging from the war of attrition in Ukraine and fragile ceasefires in the Middle East to overlooked humanitarian crises in Sudan and Congo.