The Triangle of Power - by Alexander Stubb (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

How the world broke--and how a rebalancing of power will save it

The post-Cold War era is over. The liberal world order, as we have known it since the end of World War II, is dying. Multilateral cooperation is being replaced by multipolar competition and conflict. Transactions seem to matter more than international rules. The search is on for a new global framework--a rebalancing of power.

This is the 1918, 1945 or 1989 moment of our generation. We can get it wrong, as the leaders did in the aftermath of World War I. We can get it more or less right, as happened after World War II. Or we can make false assumptions about eternal peace as happened when the Cold War ended.

The next decade will determine what the world order will look like for the rest of the century. In this book, the President of Finland, Dr. Alexander Stubb, makes a compelling case that the rebalancing will happen through a "Triangle of Power" between the Global West, the Global East, and the Global South.

At the center of it all is the great power competition between the United States and China. Both are trying to forge bilateral deals and regional alliances. But at the end of the day, it will be the Global South that decides the direction--whether multilateral or multipolar--in which the world will develop.

If the Global West wants to preserve its core democratic values, it needs to adopt an approach of "values-based realism" combined with a "dignified foreign policy." The world needs more dignity, diplomacy and dialogue--and far less preaching, bullying, and monologue.

From golf rounds with President Trump to cool, calm and collected reflections in the sauna, from mediating peace in Georgia to behind-the-scenes meetings with global leaders, The Triangle of Power is a wake-up call: if the West does not listen, it will lose the 21st Century.

Review Quotes

"History hath returned, and with a vengeance. In The Triangle of Power, Alexander Stubb deftly argues what comes after the postwar liberal order will be determined by the struggle for power between the West, East, and South. Informed by his unique blend of academic analysis and political acumen, President Stubb makes a compelling case that the West can only secure a future guided by freedom, democracy, and cooperation if it manages to persuade the rest of the world of its merits. This book is a passionate call to action from a hardened practitioner who, despite being on the front lines of some of the 21st century's fiercest geopolitical battles, understands that the path toward a more stable global order runs through greater empathy rather than force." --Ian Bremmer, political scientist, author, and president, Eurasia Group

"This is not than just another book on world politics--it is the quintessential guide to the new world disorder from the ultimate scholar-statesman. In The Triangle of Power, Stubb delivers an unflinching analysis of the seismic geopolitical shifts reshaping today's global order. Stubb takes readers inside the corridors of power, drawing from firsthand encounters with world leaders like Putin, Trump and Xi. Bursting with gripping anecdotes and razor-sharp insights, this is the must-read playbook for navigating the chaos ahead." --Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations

"Alexander Stubb is a rare, perhaps unique, figure who manages to combine the role of head of state and public intellectual. As president of Finland, he has become an important voice speaking out for Europe and describing the challenges ahead. In his new book he describes the emerging new world order with insight and authority." --Gideon Rachman, Associate Editor and Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, Financial Times

"Alexander Stubb provides a thoughtful and challenging account of the seismic changes underway in the global order. These changes make a compelling case for an inclusive multilateralism founded on the principles of the United Nations Charter and underpinned by faithful adherence by all countries to international law. At a time when the world is confronting the existential threat of climate change, growing inequality, conflict and instability, human happiness and progress depends more than ever on cooperation between nations and peoples. As this book makes plain, we need a world order in which the rights and interests of the vulnerable can no longer be trampled beneath the ambitions of the powerful." --Cyril Ramphosa, President of South Africa

"If I was asked to choose any leader in Europe to lead a discussion of the state of the world, I would choose Alex Stubb. He has the breadth of experience, the intellectual reach and the clarity of thought to analyze for all of us what is really going on. His thoughts on a world moving from order to disorder could not be more timely or relevant as old certainties fall away. And his reminder that we have agency--that we can do something about the disordered world before it disintegrates--is vital advice that should help stir us all into action. This is a book that policymakers and the public need to read." --William Hague, Rt. Hon. The Lord Hague of Richmond

"Alexander Stubb's important work could not have come at a more important moment. As the world undergoes tectonic geopolitical shifts that will shape the international landscape for years to come, Alex draws on his deep knowledge of history, his expertise in interpreting global power dynamics, and his experience on the frontlines of diplomacy to offer guidance for understanding and navigating today's challenging context. There is no scholar or practitioner of foreign policy better suited to bringing clarity to this complex and consequential period for the world." --Børge Brende, President & CEO World Economic Forum, Former Foreign Minister Norway

"With the background and perspective of former Member of the European Parliament, Foreign and Prime Minister of Finland and now also President of his country Alexander Stubb is uniquely positioned to reflect on our world in turmoil. And he rightly argues that the next few years will decide the direction--is a new, more realistic but still multilateral global order possible? Much will be decided, he argues, by whether the Global West can answer also to the aspirations of the Global South. A book not only worth reading but also reflecting on." --Carl Bildt, Co-chair of ECFR's Council, Former Prime Minister and Former Foreign Minister of Sweden