“Liberal internationalism is based on four elements: democracy, free trade, collective security, and American leadership. Altogether, they represent the building blocks of global peace – at least, this was the view of Woodrow Wilson after WWI. A liberal order – in its most institutionalized form so far – was designed at Bretton Woods in 1944, and it has been in place for the rest of the 20th century. The American-led order is now increasingly questioned and challenged. This paper looks at the ‘free trade’ component of Wilsonianism, currently threatened by rising protectionism and the return of geoeconomics.”
Giuseppe Gabusi (T.wai & University of Turin) is the author of the article “Under pressure: the end of free trade as we know it and the future of the liberal order“, published by Quaderni di scienza politica (Il Mulino).
