In recent years, the ideology of nationalist populism has wreaked havoc on international politics. This surge is undermining the classical tenets of liberalism that have historically sustained free and democratic polities. The European Union, a political and economic union of 27 member states, is today the world’s largest and most successful model of applied liberal internationalism. Liberalism is under urgent threat today from anti-liberal forces. In the United States, former President Donald Trump’s presidency has unleashed a virulent counter-reaction to these ideals.
Liberalism—at least in its truest form—holds, as the late political philosopher and legal scholar Ronald Dworkin famously described it, the ideal of equal respect and concern for all people. That promise has faltered over the years. Neoliberal policies have exacerbated inequality – levels that we haven’t experienced in over a century. Lack of attention to the needs of citizens and residents has left many societies angry. This turmoil is stoking the growth of new sour populist forces bent on destroying liberal democratic institutions.
The United States—frequently praised as one of the world’s most liberalizing countries—now stands at a crossroads. We would argue that Trump’s presidency and subsequent actions have been a very real threat to the pillars of liberal governance. It’s impossible to deny that his administration’s pernicious anti-liberal rhetoric and policies have sharply divided American society. They’ve sent shockwaves around the world, placing countries like Canada on the frontlines of defending liberal values.
Indeed, Canada tends to get lauded as a paragon of liberalism on the global stage. To snuff out the fire of this anti-liberal wave, defenders of liberalism unite and chant, “We are all Canadians! Looking ahead, this solidarity signals the importance of an intl liberal democratic interconnectedness when confronting the antipopulist threat.
Britain, Australia, Japan and Canada are indispensable to a united front against illiberal powers. Their combined firepower will be key in winning the big fights for advancing and defending liberal ideals. This commitment will travel well beyond their borders and reverberate on an international stage. The next European Union summit should match this urgency by pursuing even more ambitious plans to lead the way on liberalism.
Central to this effort is the advocacy of free trade as a cure to protectionism. Liberalism is sustained by open markets and international collaboration. The digital infrastructure that supports these economies is predominantly shaped by American technology giants such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. The monopolistic control these oligarchs have over big tech poses a challenge to other countries who are trying to defend democratic values.
“Men who would be kings.” – Timothy Garton Ash
As Trump’s anti-liberal campaign continues to roll across the globe, that creation of a geopolitical battlefield over the value of liberal democracy becomes the fight. Countries like Canada are far from bystanders; they have taken aggressive initiatives to protect them from these threats. The support for Ukraine amid ongoing conflicts serves as a testament to the commitment to uphold fundamental principles of the liberal international order. Advocating for Ukraine now is not only important in standing up to authoritarian aggression but will help re-establish global support for democratic governance.
Moreover, liberalism must be defended on two fronts: against overt enemies and against issues arising from within its own framework. The increasing inequality and backlash produced by these elite-driven neoliberal reforms require a serious reconsideration of elite liberalism’s tolerance for such undemocratic practices. These are the internal battles that liberal democracies need to fight. Only then can they begin to earn back the public trust and fend off the allure of populist alternatives.
The onus is on created powers to be accountable. At this moment, anti-liberal sentiment is rising in emerging democracies around the world, and they must unify against it. Free trade agreements and digital collaborations among liberal nations can foster a more resilient framework capable of withstanding external pressures.