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Opinion
October 26, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 22
not educated to understand how it works,” said Fischer.
Russia has found itself in the front line of this debate, argued Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian special presidential envoy for the Middle East and a highly respected Arabist. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in a decade of optimism
as Europe was united for the first time since WWII, but in the last decade the barriers have been going up again as the newly reintroduced neighbours get into multiple rows over influence, economics and security arrangements.
“There is a constant attempt to meddle in the af- fairs of other countries that is raising the danger of military confrontation. The US has unleashed a trade war and follows a unipolar model, but that model is doomed to failure,” Bogdanov said, reading from a paper in prepared remarks that highlighted the Kremlin’s now routine objections to the criticism it receives from Brussels and Washington. “We are entering a new era that is by default multinational. Africa is rising and set- ting its own independent foreign policy and the G20 has a growing voice. These countries don't impose their views on other countries but are seeking compromise,” Bogdanov went on to say.
There is a tension in international affairs due to the shifting landscape that is driven by demo- graphics as much as anything else. Bogdanov’s emphasis on the importance of the G20 over the G7 is telling as the rise of the emerging markets in the last decade has played a major role in the changing nature of the balance of power in the world. However, politically the G20 is an imma- ture and uncoordinated body when set again the G7, according to both Fischer and Bogdanov, and Africa’s rise is even less acknowledged by the Old World powers than that of the newly remade states in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin joined the panel by video link and high- lighted the changes in Africa where the demo- graphic explosion will be even more extreme.
“By 2050 Africa will have 4.5bn people and we have to take the changing demographic develop- ments from around the world into account. The emerging markets world is facing many chal- lenges and problems which makes dialogue more important than ever,” said de Villepin.
Washington in retreat
The theme of the US’s leading role in global af- fairs in retreat was something all the panellists kept returning to, saying this has thrown geopoli- tics into flux. Earlier this year the new German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called the US an “unreliable partner” and painted an unvarnished picture of a European policy that needs to “stand on its own feet.” The post WWII global world order is changing rapidly, but Fischer was more pragmatic about the consequences, reminding the audience that the US remains an “incredibly powerful country.”
“In the twenty-first century even the most powerful country is not powerful enough to solve all the problems on its own,” said Fischer. “The challenges we face – climate change, terrorism, demographics – neither the US nor China can solve these problems on their own.”
The problem, warned Fischer, is the world’s leading countries are not engaged with these problems nor trying to find solutions. Several delegates brought up the problem of climate change. The UN recently warned there are only 12 years left to halt climate change or there will be an irreversible phase change in the problem, yet the US is pulling out of the Paris Climate Change accord. Fischer was scathing about the current US administration’s attitude to this and other problems.
“They are actively destroying the multilateral
set up. But the future of the US policy is in the hands of the US people. The situation is complex. There is a huge disarray in US politics, but that is countered by the multilateralism of the EU. Even Britain, if it leaves the EU, will align with Europe... in the long-term I am optimistic as we can’t avoid