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View all search resultsTime for Indonesia to build a new coalition of middle power
As global superpowers clash and fracture the international order, Indonesia has a rare opportunity to unite rising middle powers and forge a new center of gravity in world diplomacy.
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South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa (left) talks with an advisor next to President Prabowo Subianto during a plenary session of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7, 2025. (AFP/Pablo Porciuncula)
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oday’s geopolitical landscape is experiencing a distinct "middle power moment". Defined by the growing fragmentation of the global order, this shift offers mid-tier states unprecedented opportunities to leverage their strategic weight.
Amid this restructuring, a fresh effort is emerging to build a cohesive coalition of middle powers. For Indonesia, this initiative presents both a profound opportunity and a test, placing Jakarta in a unique position to help organize and direct this emerging diplomatic movement.
Recent momentum reflects a growing appetite for intermediate leadership. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has championed a diplomatic pivot aimed at galvanizing mid-sized states, a vision echoed by Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Similarly, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for greater unity among intermediate powers to reshape the current global framework.
A fundamental challenge in building such a coalition lies in definition: Who precisely qualifies as a middle power?
Traditionally, the term described established Western or Northern nations of intermediate rank, such as Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Yet this definition is far too narrow to capture modern geopolitical realities.
Today, the concept must expand to encompass non-hegemonic nations with substantial regional and global capabilities, including Brazil, Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey.
These key swing states are influential enough to shape outcomes, yet not large enough to dominate. Their centrality stems not merely from raw material strength, but from a structural shift in global dynamics that grants them roles no superpower can fulfill.
