Democracy, hierarchy and hegemony in a New Shared Global Order
Chair(s): Prof. Marco Ricceri (EURISPES, BRICS lab (I))
Discussant(s): Prof. Marco Ricceri (EURISPES, BRICS lab (I))
The panellists will explore democracy, human development, and competition for a New Shared Global Order
Papers
Geopolitical Dynamics: India and China's Quest for Dominance in the Indian Ocean
Emdorini Thangkhiew
Jawaharlal Nehru University, IN
The escalating geopolitical rivalry between India and China in the Indian Ocean is largely driven by strategic struggle for dominance over important maritime trade routes, acquisition of vita resources, and the aspiration for regional hegemony. This rivalry is evident in diplomatic moves, economic investments, military advancements, and competing infrastructure initiatives.
These actions have significant consequences for regional stability, security, and the distribution of power in the wider Indo-Pacific area.
The objective of this paper is to highlight the various sides of this geopolitical issue by looking at historical background, current events, and key strategy moves. India, with a long history of being a powerful maritime force in the region, has always seen the Indian Ocean as its area of influence and aims to protect its strategic interests from any encroachment. China's maritime strategy, demonstrated through its Belt and Road Initiative and the development of naval stations in the Indian Ocean, enhancing bilateral relations with countries in the Indian Ocean, illustrates its desire for increased influence and access to important sea routes. The most recent instance in the Maldives brings a new dimension and underscores the complexities of great power competition in this region.
The Indian Ocean region becomes a testing ground for intense competition among major powers and their strategic manoeuvres. Comprehending the intricacies of the India-China competition in this particular situation is crucial for policymakers, analysts, and stakeholders that aim to understand the nuances of current international relations and predict future advancements in this crucial maritime region.
The Europeanisation of the EU’s Foreign Policy through Parliamentary Diplomacy: The Case of “like-minded” Taiwan
Prof. Reinhard Biedermann
Tamkang University (TW)
Parliamentarians across the European Union (EU) member states increasingly adopt the identity of EU representatives and promote common interests, including the status quo between China and Taiwan. Thrived after the pandemic, this paper inspects European parliamentary Diplomacy (PD) towards Taiwan, a democratic “like-minded” country, and its impact. How could PD strengthen the profile and Europeanisation of the member states’ Taiwan policy to substantiate a common EU one-China policy? I assume that, to shape the EU’s foreign affairs, the parliamentarization of the EU’s foreign policy needs horizontal coordination at the parliamentary level and vertical coordination with the leadership level through its signalling, lobbying, and multiplying mediation functions. This research, using open data on European-Taiwanese interactions, finds that Europeanisation occurs at the horizontal parliamentary level, the first-dimensional mechanism, while at the vertical axis, PD multiplies and mediates the EU’s normative role strengthening its profile in cross-strait relations and contributes to bilateral agreements.
From national to transnational populism: the AKP’s civilizationist discourse for the European Turkish-Muslim population
Dr. Kazım Ateş1, Dr. Mustafa Cem OĞUZ2
1Ankara University, Turkey; 2Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Turkey
In a world of flux, the scope of political discourses extends beyond national borders in most situations. When there is a significant diaspora population, representing a portion of voters for national elections, it is understandable that political actors must develop discursive strategies to appeal to diaspora voters. However, when the discourse is populist, the outcome is not simply to garner electoral support. Populism is more a discursive logic of identity construction, of an essential belonging. This presentation aims to analyze the populist discourse of Turkey’s governing party, the AKP, within this conceptual frame. The AKP’s populism has not only gained significant electoral support among the diaspora and instrumentalized this support in foreign politics but also constructed an identity on Islamic-civilizationist ground. What is striking is that while the discourse of national populisms in Europe articulates a specific version of civilizationism against a civilizational threat from Islam, as Roger Brubaker puts it, the transnational populism of the AKP develops a parallel political logic: an identitarian Islamic civilizationism against a civilizational threat from the West. Through this perception of threat, AKP also wants to mobilize the entire European Muslim minorities. These geographically dispersed and leaderless Muslim minorities are seen as an opportunity for Erdoğan to influence European politics. Thus, it is possible to claim that Europe might be the political space for a “clash of civilizations.” To clarify and strengthen its arguments, the presentation will compare the Turkish case to the political appeal of Hungary’s Fidesz to Romania's Hungarians.
Latin America in Global Governance: challenges for the future between BRICS Plus strategy, populism and neoliberal policies
Dr. Francesco Petrone
UNTREF, AR
Latin America stands at the crossroads of multiple global challenges, influenced by a complex intersection of political, economic, and social factors. This proposal explores the role the region can play in the current and future landscape of global governance, focusing on three key elements: the BRICS Plus strategy, the phenomenon of populism, and the adoption of neoliberal policies (often those embraced by Bretton Woods institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund). In our view, these three aspects are closely interconnected. Indeed, the BRICS Plus strategy presents an opportunity, particularly because it could provide alternatives to countries that have hitherto experienced interventions from Bretton Woods institutions. However, the recent decision by Argentina to withdraw from the BRICS group marks a critical point to keep in mind for the future. The Argentine example, therefore, provides insights into how populism and the defense of neoliberal policies can deeply influence vital decisions, such as the accession of new members from the region to the BRICS group. The future decisions of various regional governments—currently torn between joining non-Western groups (such as BRICS) or maintaining a pro-Western stance, primarily in alliance with the United States— will play a fundamental role in shaping global governance. And the direction that both global governance and multilateralism will take in the near future is crucial for our planet and the urgent issues it faces, such as climate change, wars, etc., demanding immediate responses.
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