The world has entered a period of wrecking-ball politics. Leaders have risen to prominence by promising sweeping demolition rather than careful reform. They seek to tear down rules and institutions at home and abroad, which they falsely claim hinder both their efforts to build stronger, more prosperous countries as well as to prevent “civilizational decline.”

But these sentiments are not confined to a small group of radical actors. Today’s disruptive agendas (we are still waiting to see how the American and Israeli war against Iran is going to play out) are built on widespread disillusionment with democratic institutions and a pervasive loss of trust in policymakers’ ability to make meaningful course corrections.

In a survey for the recent Munich Security Conference 2026, only a tiny share of respondents in the Group of Seven countries say that their current government’s policies will make future generations better off. In France, Germany and the United Kingdom, absolute majorities believe the opposite: that future generations will be worse off under the current policy trajectory.

© The Japan Times