A State of “Unorder?”
From Brussels Sprouts by Center for a New American Security | CNAS
May 8, 2026 · 1h 0m · Episode 81
About this episode
Mark Leonard discusses his book 'Surviving Chaos' and the concept of a new state of durable 'unorder' in global geopolitics.
As conversations about the status of the liberal world order swirl in capitals on both sides of the Atlantic, many are realizing that old ways of thinking about the rules-based order, power, and international cooperation may no longer hold. Mark Leonard’s new book, Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail, argues that we need a fundamentally different way of thinking about the future. The current moment may not be a world between orders, but a new state of durable “unorder,” defined by four big structural forces—climate, chips, capital, and civilizations—along with the biggest source of the chaos behind them: China. Chaos has become the system, Leonard argues, and rather than looking for order, Europeans should figure out how to have agency. Surviving Chaos is especially relevant given the U.S. war with Iran, demonstrating how today’s crises overlap and reinforce one another. Energy shortfalls, food insecurity, nuclear proliferation, and global economic shocks all occur simultaneously. Do today’s crises signal a deeper shift toward unorder? Are shared rules and assumptions still relevant? And what does this mean for Europe and how can it adapt?To discuss these questions…
People in this episode
Guest: Mark Leonard
Topics covered
- liberal world order
- geopolitics
- international cooperation
- climate change
- economic shocks
- China's influence
Keywords
- liberal world order
- geopolitics
- unorder
- Mark Leonard
- China
- energy shortfalls
- food insecurity
- nuclear proliferation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: European Council on Foreign Relations, Center for a New American Security
Places: Iran, Europe, China
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