The Triangle of Power

Alexander Stubb, the President of Finland and a seasoned scholar-statesman, presents a comprehensive framework for understanding the collapsing international order in his book, The Triangle of Power. He argues that the post-Cold War era has ended, giving way to a volatile "interregnum" defined by a strategic triad consisting of the Global West, Global East, and Global South. Stubb advocates for a foreign policy of values-based realism, which balances a commitment to liberal democratic ideals with a pragmatic, humble engagement of diverse global actors. Through a blend of personal anecdotes from high-level diplomacy and academic analysis, he examines how the management of competition, conflict, and cooperation will dictate the next century. Ultimately, the text serves as an optimistic call for the West to move away from unilateralism and toward a reinvigorated multilateralism that grants genuine agency to the rising nations of the South.