The world is changing at a pace few expected. From the ongoing Russia–Ukraine War to the devastation in Gaza Strip and Israel’s broader regional expansion, the foundations of the post-Cold War order appear increasingly unstable. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mark Carney warned that there is a "rupture" in the global order. Meanwhile, European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron have called for greater strategic autonomy, arguing that Europe must be prepared to act independently in an era of intensifying great-power competition. Together, these shifts raise pressing questions about the future cohesion of the NATO alliance and force a reconsideration of Europe’s role, whether as a junior partner to the United States or as a more assertive, sovereign entity in a polarised world. 

We speak to Frederik Holst, Fellow of the Research Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Democracy in Germany.

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