LMU Researchers: Liberal Orders' Weaknesses Lie in Their Own Successes

Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Christoph Knill, Berthold Rittberger, and Bernhard Zangl, are presenting a new perspective on the challenges facing liberal systems. They argue that the factors contributing to their success can simultaneously lead to destabilization.

Traditionally, the difficulties faced by liberal orders have been attributed to external forces, such as the policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump, China's rise, or the growth of right-wing populist movements. However, the LMU researchers contend that these phenomena are not solely external, but are also partly generated by internal mechanisms within the liberal orders themselves.

"Liberal orders stumble over the factors that underwrite their success," the researchers state. For instance, the strength of the liberal international order has stemmed from the United States' efforts to involve other countries, which enhanced the order's legitimacy. Paradoxically, this has also diminished U.S. control, prompting the country to distance itself from the order it created, thereby threatening its stability.

Similarly, the rescue of the Eurozone saw the EU implement a heavily neoliberal-inspired policy without sufficient discussion of local needs. This approach led to accusations of excessive liberalism and raised doubts about the currency union's viability.

The researchers emphasize that the destabilization of liberal systems does not necessarily imply their complete collapse. Instead, it may represent a gradual weakening, potentially followed by a more balanced corrective movement in the future.