On 28 April 2022, a public panel entitled “Global Disorder After ‘Liberal’ Hegemony” brought together International Relations scholars to examine the driving forces behind instability in global politics. The discussion featured Trine Flockhart (University of Southern Denmark), Daniel Nexon (Georgetown University), Jason Pack (NATO Defense College Foundation), and Inderjeet Parmar (City, University of London), with Aaron McKeil serving as chair.

In an era marked by escalating geopolitical tensions and global instability, the panel explored a fundamental question: why does contemporary international politics appear increasingly chaotic? It examined whether the decline of liberal hegemony represents a cause of this emerging disorder or merely a consequence of deeper transformations within world politics.

In his reflections, Inderjeet Parmar from the Global Disorder research group reflected on how we are living through a profound crisis that operates simultaneously at domestic and international levels. Parmar suggested we are experiencing what scholar Milan Babbage calls an “era of crisis” which is a period where we remain uncertain about our precise location within this crisis until we can look back 20 years. This crisis manifests as both domestic upheaval and international disorder, creating what he describes as a “schizophrenic situation” where multiple contradictory forces operate simultaneously.

In his speech Parmar identified six key factors shaping today’s world. First, American unreliability and domestic strife, including ultra-nationalism and inward focus, are leading emerging powers to seek more reliable partners and hedge their dependencies. Second, technological and energy revolutions, particularly the shale revolution, have transformed global power dynamics by making the US energy independent and reshaping relationships between America, the Middle East, Europe, and Russia. Third, emerging powers themselves face internal insecurities, often expressed through ethno-racial or religious politics that feed into longstanding national conflicts and resentments. Fourth, despite tensions, these emerging powers remain dependent on Western economic systems and institutions, though this dependence is less unequal than before, allowing for more strategic manoeuvring. Fifth, colonial and postcolonial humiliations, combined with newfound confidence among Global South nations, are reshaping how these countries engage with the West, potentially influencing conflicts like Ukraine. Sixth, Western structural resilience remains formidable, as demonstrated by the coordinated response to Ukraine – the ability to “almost cancel Russia” through economic measures shows the continued power of Western coalitions.

The full event can be watched on Youtube.