After Davos 2026: Entering an Age of Contested Orders

The gathering of political and economic leaders at Davos 2026 no longer resembled a ritual defence of a “rules-based international order.” Instead, it felt like a post-mortem. It also revealed a rare moment of collective acknowledgement that the existing order is not merely under strain but is being actively renegotiated. Amid all the talk of tariffs, leverage, and the “law of the strongest,” the central question that emerged is not whether the global order is fragmenting, but what kind of order is replacing it, who will shape it, and at whose cost. Are we entering a world of bargains over principles? Can sovereignty endure under transactional geopolitics? And does this moment create space for deeper Europe–Asia cooperation, or does it accelerate strategic drift?

Read the full article in The Diplomat published on January 27, 2026.