International Order Under Pressure – Is It Time for Readjustment?

The international order that emerged after the Second World War is under severe strain. States, both powerful and small, are acting increasingly outside international law, while the authority of the UN Security Council, the WTO, and NATO is eroding. Voices from the Global South are challenging Western dominance, and China and Russia are offering economic partnerships without normative conditions as an alternative model, challenging institutions built on the premise that prosperity and rules-based cooperation go hand in hand. From the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to the growing U.S. disengagement from international organizations, what once appeared to be a stable system now looks fragmented, contested, and poised for significant transformation. 

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center invites you to a discussion that examines changing global power dynamics and the evolution of transatlantic relations. It will explore what responsibilities Europe and Germany should assume in safeguarding their own security and fostering a more resilient international order, and what role international institutions – from financial and development bodies to trade and security arrangements – can play in sustaining investment, stability, and reconstruction in the world’s crisis-affected regions.

This public dialogue will take place on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at the Akademie der Künste, Pariser Platz in Berlin, featuring:

• Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the first woman to lead a multilateral development bank. Under her leadership, the EBRD has become the main institutional investor in Ukraine while also supporting economic activity in other crisis-affected regions.  

• Norbert Röttgen, member of the German Bundestag since 1994. A former Federal Minister and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is one of Germany’s leading voices on international affairs and the author of several bestselling books, including Democracy and War.

• Katherine Tai (tbc), United States Ambassador and Trade Representative during the Biden Administration. She now serves as Executive Director of the Coalition for New Trade, advocating for a trade policy that preferences the needs of people and planet.

The dialogue will be moderated by Anna Sauerbrey, Foreign Affairs Editor of DIE ZEIT.

It will be followed by a reception, offering a splendid view of the Brandenburg Gate.

Please register here for the public dialogue by 4 October 2026.

The event will take place in English without a translation.