Who will fill the soft power vacuum left by the US?

International cooperation and soft power politics are currently losing ground worldwide. War and national solo efforts dominate the global stage. The current US foreign policy, marked by massive cuts to international cooperation and investment in soft power, is a major factor. 

In the latest issue of the ifa – Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations’ External Cultural Policy (ECP) Monitor, “Domination Without Hegemony? The Emerging Contest to Fill the US’ Soft Power Vacuum,” authors Hertie School Professor Helmut K. Anheier and Research Associate Edward L. Knudsen argue that the current collapse of US soft power also presents an opportunity for Europe to step up and fill this void.

“We are witnessing a world order of domination without hegemony,” explains Helmut Anheier. “Europe should not simply fill the gaps left by the US. Instead, we must develop an independent, inclusive form of multilateralism that shapes our future.”

Co-author Edward Knudsen adds: “Europe must not turn its foreign cultural policy into a tool of economic self-interest or political messaging. It is an investment in credibility, cooperation and trust.”

“The study shows that our work plays a central role in shaping Germany’s position in the world,” said Gitte Zschoch, Secretary General of the ifa. “We must build long-term partnerships based on trust and shared values, counter authoritarian narratives with credible, pluralistic approaches, and strengthen European cooperation to jointly develop a new form of soft power.” 

Foreign cultural policy must remain independent of economic and military power

According to the authors, the international community is currently experiencing a renaissance of hard-power politics driven by economics and military power. The US retreat from multilateral institutions and the dismantling of traditional soft power instruments have created a power vacuum that authoritarian states such as China, Russia and the Gulf monarchies are attempting to fill. This has produced a fluid international environment where legitimacy and trust must be renegotiated, and Europe stands at the centre of this process.

The authors also suggest that Germany could take on a leadership role by treating culture, education and science as long-term investments in soft power. This also means protecting these fields from any form of instrumentalisation. Only if institutions such as the DAAD, the Goethe-Institut and ifa remain free from political interference can foreign policy be implemented credibly and sustainably.

Presentation: rethinking external cultural policy

At the launch event in Berlin, Edward Knudsen presented the findings of the ECP Monitor and explored how external cultural policy (ECP) can strengthen Europe’s global influence. He argued that ECP is a state-led and state-supported effort to enhance soft power by promoting civil society, cultural dialogue and international exchange. While ECP plays an important role, Knudsen noted that soft power also depends on long-term engagement from the private sector and non-state actors.

Knudsen discussed how the concept of “domination without hegemony” reflects the post-1945 order, in which US primacy relied on both coercive and persuasive means. Today, he argued, competition in soft power is more complex than a simple contest between China and the US, with China increasingly integrating its economic agenda into its soft power strategy and Europe needing to balance its own approach amid growing domestic pressures.

He cautioned that Germany’s soft power is under strain due to budget cuts and the rise of radical-right movements and urged Europe to rethink its external cultural policies as a credible, values-based alternative to great-power politics. Knudsen presented “Super Switzerland” as Europe’s approach, combining neutrality toward the US with a balance of hard and soft power.

Panel discussion: Europe’s role in a changing world

The presentation was followed by a lively panel discussion featuring Marija Golubeva (Henrik Enderlein Fellow at the Hertie School), Andrew Manning (Director of EUNIC), Gitte Zschoch (Secretary General of ifa), and Sudha David-Wilp (German Marshall Fund), moderated by Melinda Crane (Deutsche Welle). The panellists debated how Europe can assert itself as a global cultural actor amid pressure on traditional alliances and multilateral institutions.

The speakers noted that the US withdrawal from international cooperation and USAID’s retrenchment have left a vacuum that the EU and its member states are increasingly filling, especially in regions like Africa and Eastern Europe. However, they cautioned that Europe must resist the temptation to instrumentalise cultural policy for short-term political goals. The discussion highlighted the need for independent, well-resourced cultural institutions capable of sustained engagement and trust-building.