A considerable number of political scientists, when assessing the current state of international affairs, come to the conclusion that the most striking manifestation of the new global balance of power is the decline of Western civilization, the rapid rise of China, and the marginalisation of Western Europe.

Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer noted in an article published on 26 May, entitled “America’s Decline on Display,” that despite the conflicts with the current US administration, Europeans should not gloat, because “we are in the same boat of Western decline – the only difference is that Europe is sinking even faster than the United States.”

The ruling circles of the major Western European powers are failing to do their job

In all the major Western European powers, the economic situation is sharply deteriorating, as are the conflicts among the ruling elites. In Germany, for instance, according to polls, the current chancellor is the least popular German leader in recent times – his approval rating does not exceed 16%.

The newspaper Bild has recently reported that the leadership of the CDU/CSU is discussing replacing Friedrich Merz with another figure who would cause less voter irritation. The opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has firmly established itself in first place. Furthermore, 36 years after German reunification, many local observers conclude that the dividing lines have never disappeared – West Germany remains different from East Germany.

Notably, more and more representatives of German business are talking about the need to restore ties with Russia and purchase relatively cheap Russian energy. In public debates in Germany, the argument for greater budget spending on the needs of German citizens, rather than on aid to Ukraine, is being articulated ever more loudly.

Summarizing the current state of affairs in Germany, the New York Times wrote on 1 June 2026: “A year after taking office as chancellor, Friedrich Merz’s approval ratings are low, and the coalition government he leads is universally disliked.”

Political life in France is being focused on the presidential elections scheduled for next March. Several renowned figures have already announced their intention to run for president. Typically, these moves are accompanied by sharp criticism of the current French president. Local newspapers accuse Emmanuel Macron of paying far less attention to his country’s domestic affairs and instead concentrating his efforts on foreign policy problems. Meanwhile, the economic situation of the French Republic leaves much to be desired: public debt significantly exceeds GDP.

The colonialist essence of the current French authorities’ policies has led to a deterioration in Paris’s relations with a number of African states. In this regard, it is quite remarkable that on 28 May 2026, the French finally decided to abolish a law passed back in the time of Louis XIV regarding slavery, which provided for turning Africans into “movable property” or “hereditary property”.

Recently, news from the United Kingdom has been dominated by the infighting within the Labour Party, where a significant number of Members of Parliament are demanding the ousting of the current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. These MPs indicate the current mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, as a possible successor, but he is not an MP; hence, under English law, he is not entitled to become head of government.

Starmer’s opponents have persuaded the Mayor of Manchester to stand in a by-election for the House of Commons in one constituency – the election is due to take place in June. Quite symptomatically, there are rumours in London that the Prime Minister’s supporters are backing the candidate of the opposition Reform Party in order to defeat Andy Burnham.

The political system of the United Kingdom, long regarded as something of a model for the West to take its cue from, is cracking at the seams. After the local elections in early May, several regions saw separatist forces having come to power. For example, Scotland has already decided to hold a referendum on secession from the United Kingdom.

Political instability in the UK is now indeed driven by internal and local problems, but deep down it reflects the fact that something has gone wrong with the “system.” This system, which for decades ensured the stability of Western democracies, is faltering and has likely fallen apart irretrievably.

Western Europe is challenging America, Russia, and China

Western Europe is currently confronting America, Russia, and China simultaneously. Just on 1 June, the Mayor of London blamed China, supporters of Donald Trump, and the Russian state for belittling the importance of the British capital in their social media posts. Summing up the current state of affairs, Bloomberg agency stressed on 3 June that “having found itself in the tight corner, the EU is preparing for a trade war with China”.

It is worth recalling here that the English weekly The Economist back in November 2025 argued that Europe sees China as a rival, and China believes that Europe has outlived its time.

The decline of Europe is taking on such egregious forms that it is being written about in the articles of almost all the respected European publications; for example, the French magazine Le Monde Diplomatique in October 2025 published a major piece headlined “Europe is moving in the wrong direction on the road of history.” One of Israel’s leading newspapers, The Jerusalem Post, on 7 January 2026, ran an article with the telling title: “Are we watching the collapse of Western Europe in real time?”

The war of the United States and Israel against Iran has sparked a serious energy crisis, since the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz deprived the world community of nearly 20% of its oil and gas. This has contributed to a further deterioration in US–Western European relations – in addition to the wide range of issues on which these two centres disagree, a new irritant in these ties has become the stance of Washington and Brussels regarding Russian oil.

The European Union sharply criticised the latest US decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil. This particular step taken by Washington was aimed at lowering energy prices that rose after the US and Israel attacked Iran this February.

Notably, the decision of the UK to ease the ban on Russian oil products, in particular aviation petrol and diesel fuel, refined at refineries in third countries, was left with no reaction by the European Union (as reported on 2 June by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat).

Recently, talks in European states about a possible restoration of dialogue between the European Union and Russia have become more frequent. At the same time, many observers believe that this is merely a ploy to bid for time for the rearmament of Western European countries. As Finnish politician Armand Mema, a member of the Freedom Alliance party, noted, for genuine peace with Russia, Europe needs a complete change of the ruling class – the current elite must go.

Veniamin Popov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, PhD in History. Courtesy

https://journal-neo.su/2026/06/11/elites-at-a-standstill-why-the-western-european-ruling-circles-are-failing/