The panel, titled “Hegemony, Globalization and Resistance: Is a New World Order Developing,” explored the implications of the United States’ relative economic and geopolitical decline in relation to China and its resort to increasingly coercive and predatory policies and actions. As the world enters a prolonged and dangerous interregnum how are the foundations of global order being challenged and transformed?
Cafruny’s paper, titled “Tethered to a Declining Hegemon: Rising Multipolarity and Europe’s Descent,” focused specifically on the intensification of conflict within the transatlantic sphere. Appealing for greater autonomy and sovereignty Europe’s leaders have opted for rearmament. Yet, European states individually and collectively are condemned to remain deeply subordinated both economically and strategically to the United States. Europe’s militarization drive is most notable and alarming in Germany which is experiencing deindustrialization, economic stagnation, and a growing crisis of legitimacy.
Posted September 14, 2026
