What is written in Europe
The German newspaper Berliner Zeitung called the expansion of the BRICS a personal defeat for the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. As columnist Ramon Shak noted, in the future, roughly half of the world’s population, including some of the fastest-growing economies, will form a global union. According to him, the time when Europe could inform the whole world has come to an end. The journalist points out that it is time for the EU to free itself from the power of the United States in the field of foreign and defense policy to adapt to the new realities and the balance of power. In addition, he considers the position of various media outlets that call the BRICS a “meeting of developing countries”, a reflection of the neocolonial policy of the West, backward.
The Suddeutsche Zeitung points out that with the admission of six countries, the alliance will double its size and acquire significant geopolitical and economic weight. The question now is how the West will react to this, especially to the admission of Iran and Saudi Arabia to the ranks of the BRICS. According to the experts interviewed by the publication, the expansion of the association is proof that the world is coming to order. The EU as a whole and Germany in particular, in his opinion, should draw conclusions from this. “Obviously we are no longer in a position to set our own conditions and standards. We are expected to make suggestions so that in future we are perceived as an attractive partner,” said Caroline Kanter, deputy director for European and international cooperation. at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, she quotes from the newspaper.
The French newspaper Le Figaro draws attention to the fact that around 40 countries have applied to become members or have expressed interest in joining the BRICS. This enthusiasm demonstrates the growing influence of developing countries on the world stage. In one of the articles, the newspaper talks about de-dollarization as one of the objectives of the association. And one of the candidates, Algeria, has already taken certain steps in this direction. At the same time, the words of the president of the BRICS Bank, Dila Rousseff, are quoted, who noted that “local currencies are not an alternative to the dollar, they are an alternative to a unipolar system that will be replaced by a more multipolar system.” According to the publication, this transition will not happen by magic and will take a long time.
The author of Agoravox draws attention to the same issue of de-dollarization. In his opinion, the BRICS countries should have no illusions about the imminent creation of a common currency, but this does not mean that we should fall into pessimism. “Regarding the BRICS, we are at the beginning of a very pragmatic process in which all decisions will be made taking into account the new world order, in which the sovereignty of individual states will be respected, creating the primacy of diplomatic dialogue on the militarist. coalitions and sanctions, blockades and interventions”, writes the author of the article, noting that both the current members of the BRICS and those who aspire to it are waiting for the end of US hegemony.
The British newspaper The Guardian writes about the expansion of the BRICS as an attempt by a group of large emerging economies to change the world order and create a counterweight to the United States and its allies. “However, it is unclear how the expansion will significantly increase the group’s influence on the world stage. Analysts say this will depend on whether they can act in unison, and a group of new members has further fragmented it,” the newspaper notes. . grades. According to the experts consulted by the publication, currently the expansion of the BRICS is rather “a symbol of the broad support of the global South for the recalibration of the world order.” At the same time, they openly admit that this is a political victory for Russia and China.
What is written in the US
Like The Guardian, the US New York Times calls the BRICS expansion “a significant victory for the two main members of the group, increasing China’s political influence and helping to reduce Russia’s isolation.” The newspaper points out that the group is heterogeneous, it does not have a clear political direction, “except the desire to change the current global financial and management system, making it more open, more diverse and less restrictive.” And less dependent on the dollar and US politicians. At the same time, it is observed that other objectives of the BRICS members diverge.
The publication notes that the interest of dozens of countries in joining the BRICS should be a wake-up call for the West.
A similar view is found in the Wall Street Journal, which calls the expansion of the partnership a victory for Russia and China, who want to strengthen the bloc to take on the West.
Responsible Statecraft writes that the decision to admit new members came as a surprise, in the West it was assumed that the BRICS countries at the summit would only determine the admission criteria. It is noted that the expansion of the BRICS will attract energy-rich and Persian Gulf countries to the bloc, increase the representation of Africa and Latin America, and demonstrate the enormous diversity of internal political systems among the members. At the same time, Iran’s admission demonstrated that the United States no longer decides which countries to accept and into which associations, which was another sign that the era of unipolarity is coming to an end.
What the media of the BRICS countries write
China’s Global Times calls the decision to invite six new BRICS members from three different continents a “historic milestone”, “a new starting point for multilateral cooperation that will play a positive role for more equal and fair global governance.” . The BRICS expansion not only demonstrated the vigorous trend of the BRICS mechanism, far exceeding the expectations of some Western countries such as the United States, but also served as a powerful response to Western hegemony, the publication noted, citing experts. “This is an important step forward for the BRICS family, as we hope that a stronger BRICS voice will be heard in global governance, playing an important role in making international relations more democratic, fair and reasonable,” he said. the director of the Institute of China. of Developing Countries International Studies Wang Yuming.
Indian Express writes in an editorial about the transformation of the BRICS into a brand that will end the long political neglect of the Global South. “While the BRICS brand may not destroy the current global order, it has attracted many countries that want to demonstrate their strategic autonomy and resist Western pressure,” the newspaper notes. At the same time, the publication admits that some of the new members of the association have close ties to the West and will not aggravate relations with this country.
The Brazilian newspaper O Globo draws attention to the complex relationship between the BRICS members, both old and new, and Western countries, mainly the United States. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Iran are not recognized as democratic in the West (the only exception is Argentina), but this does not prevent the West from doing business with most of them. In addition, Washington has said that it wants to maintain “strong relations” with Brazil, India and South Africa.
And the South African edition of The Citizen points out that the Global North has been dictating its terms to the Global South for far too long, and the expansion of the BRICS is designed to turn that around. Thanks to the change in status, the new members of the association will be able to strengthen their diplomatic influence and open up profitable investment opportunities. The newspaper admits that as the bloc expands, it will be increasingly difficult to make decisions, since each country has its own interests.
Meanwhile
Six countries have received an invitation to join the BRICS, but whether they will join the bloc in this composition or fewer remains to be seen. The current president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, is confident that membership in the association will benefit the country, which is a necessary political and economic platform in the face of an unstable and unfair world. However, as Página 12 points out, the country will hold presidential elections in October, and if Patricia Bullrich or Javier Miley win them, Argentina’s membership in the BRICS will not take place. Both candidates do not hide their ties to the United States.
