After the end of the Cold War, the liberal world order was erected by the sole superpower USA around the core tenets of economic interdependence and democratic peace — the two pillars of the liberal international order.The primary architect of this order wanted to spread their domestic ideology of democracy and international institutional membership and create an open and inclusive international economy in order to spread their political, economic and cultural dominance worldwide. However, the liberal international order has been in decline since the end of the second decade of the 21st century as the US is no longer able to bear the sole responsibility of maintaining liberal international order’s stability. John J. Mearsheimer, a renowned IR scholar writes, “By 2019, it was clear that the liberal international order was in deep trouble. The tectonic plates that underpin it are shifting, and little can be done to repair and rescue it.” A convergence of forces — resurgent nationalism, the resurgence of regional wars, the proliferation of minilateral organisations, and the formation of the anti-west Alliance in the shadow of regional and global geopolitical rivalry — challenges the liberal world order. The article will explain these reasons, citing contemporary examples from recent world events. The Resurgence of Nationalism The increasing socioeconomic disparities, cultural polarisation, and large-scale migration have fostered conditions conducive to the resurgence of nationalist ideologies, which prioritise national interests and realpolitik over global cooperation and multilateralism. This paradigm shift is manifested in the growing popularity of populist, nationalist and right-wing political parties worldwide, advocating for protectionist economic measures, stringent immigration policies, and a more inward-looking approach to foreign affairs — ultimately leading to the erosion of the liberal international order. Brexit and debates on stringent immigration policies in European countries are recent examples of it. The Resurgence in Regional wars, The Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, civil wars in Sudan, and increased tensions in the South China Sea exemplified regional conflicts in three main continents — Asia, Europe and Africa. The eastward NATO expansion created a national security concern for Russia and ignited a protracted conflict in Europe. The……
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