COLLECTIVE ACTION IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD. BRUEGEL POLICY BRIEF ISSUE 5 | SEPTEMBER 2019

Pisani-Ferry, Jean (2019) COLLECTIVE ACTION IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD. BRUEGEL POLICY BRIEF ISSUE 5 | SEPTEMBER 2019. [Policy Paper]

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Abstract

There is a greater need than ever for international collective action. From climate preservation to financial stability and internet security, heightened interdependence calls for common responses to global threats. Obstacles to global collective action are no less formidable. Beyond President Trump’s stance and worldwide concerns over sovereignty, the China-US rivalry and the emergence of a multipolar world are impediments of a structural nature. The legal and institutional architecture of the rules-based global governance system looks increasingly incomplete and obsolete. A process of fragmentation has started to affect its core tenets. None of the main players is providing leadership. The US is increasingly questioning its post-war role; China is reluctant to invest in a system designed by others; Europe remains too weak and fragmented to offer sufficient leadership.

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