As the world’s balance of power continues to shift, calls for a more equitable global order are growing louder, particularly from nations in the Global South. Recent statements from political leaders in Brazil and Russia have brought the concept of multipolarity—a world not dominated by a single superpower—into sharp focus, highlighting both the opportunities and the challenges that come with reimagining the international system.
On October 15, 2025, Dani Balbi, a state lawmaker in Rio de Janeiro and a representative of Brazil’s Communist Party (PCdoB), articulated a vision of multipolarity that goes far beyond mere geopolitics. According to Balbi, “multipolarity should be understood not only as a geopolitical realignment, but as a precondition for global sovereignty.” Speaking with Denis Rogatyuk, Balbi emphasized the need for leadership that is independent of U.S. power and imperial influence—a sentiment that resonates strongly in many countries of the Global South. She argued that “the United States and imperialism continually seek to bring us under their control to exploit our people and our labor,” and that multipolarity is essential for defending democracy, workers’ rights, and confronting the entrenched structures of capitalism.
For the Communist Party of Brazil, multipolarity is not just an abstract ideal. It represents a concrete path toward breaking free from dependency and asserting economic, cultural, and political autonomy. Balbi explained, “We believe multipolarity is a chance for the Global South to break ties of dependency and assert economic, cultural, and political autonomy.” This vision is rooted in the idea of building South–South alliances based on solidarity, complementarity, and mutual development, rather than subordination to larger powers. The goal, she said, is to “strengthen anti-imperialist socialism and popular democratic projects on every continent, not just in South America, but worldwide.”
Balbi’s comments come at a time when the BRICS bloc—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has been gaining momentum as a potential counterweight to U.S.-led institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. She sees the BRICS as “a major opportunity to strengthen ties with countries striving to transform our world,” and as a bloc that offers Global South countries greater bargaining power and alternatives to the conditionalities often imposed by Western-led financial institutions. “The BRICS are fundamental because they not only offer these opportunities through discourse and narrative—essential in themselves—but also provide the tools to make it happen through a new economic agenda that makes us less dependent on the dollar and on economic arrangements that serve only U.S. interests and international capitalism,” Balbi asserted.
These themes were echoed the following day, October 16, 2025, by Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov at the 25th India-Russia Strategic Partnership event in New Delhi. According to SocialNews.XYZ, Alipov sharply criticized the “so-called Global North” for attempting to maintain its dominance through “neo-colonial unilateral approaches, including legal sanctions and tariffs, and to provoke conflicts and trade wars.” He argued that such actions only serve to highlight the reluctance of established powers to accept the rise of a multipolar world order.
Alipov praised the enduring relationship between India and Russia, describing it as “equal, uninterrupted and mutually beneficial, built on a solid foundation of trust and respect.” He added, “The relationship between India and Russia has always been equal, uninterrupted and mutually beneficial, built on a solid foundation of trust and respect, qualities that make its upward trajectory irreversible.” This partnership, he said, has been a “driving force of global growth” and a model for stable, balanced, and mutually respectful international cooperation—one that aligns with the aspirations of an increasingly multipolar and inclusive global order.
Highlighting the practical benefits of such partnerships, Alipov pointed to Russia’s role as a leading supplier of energy resources, fertilizers, and agricultural products to India. He also noted the development of independent payment mechanisms based on national currencies and the establishment of alternative connectivity routes, such as the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Vladivostok-Chennai corridor, and the Northern Sea Route. These steps, he argued, help minimize risks in economic engagement and reduce external dependencies, furthering the cause of multipolarity.
Central to both Balbi’s and Alipov’s visions is the growing importance of multilateral groups like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Alipov observed that “BRICS has experienced a surge in popularity across the Global South. With its membership doubling, it fosters comprehensive dialogue grounded in the universal principles of the UN Charter and international law—the only sustainable basis for building trust, finding durable solutions, and creating favorable conditions for shared prosperity.”
Yet, the road to a multipolar world is not without obstacles. Balbi warned of the resurgence of neocolonial violence—blockades, bombings, and sanctions—particularly under U.S. leadership, which she described as reflecting “the crisis of this kind of imperialism and the desperation of U.S. hegemonic leadership.” She called for the global communist movement to “strengthen anti-imperialist fronts, international solidarity, and the defense of the sovereignty of nations such as Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and Palestine.” For Balbi, organizing the working class and building counter-hegemonic narratives are essential strategies for confronting imperial narratives and military aggression.
Domestically, Balbi identified former president Jair Bolsonaro and other far-right actors in Brazil as significant threats to democracy and social progress. She argued that neoliberal governance, often presented as moderate or centrist, can be even more dangerous than overt extremism because it systematically cuts investment in social areas and harms marginalized groups. “Those who promote neoliberalism are more dangerous than Bolsonaro, because neoliberalism is more acceptable to the center and therefore more dangerous than Bolsonaro’s explicit extremism,” she warned.
Looking ahead to Brazil’s 2026 elections, Balbi stressed the importance of communication in building class consciousness and the need for a broad alliance of democratic and popular forces. However, she cautioned that such alliances must be grounded in a genuinely left-wing program, not diluted by centrist or neoliberal influences. “We must build this broad alliance, but the program must be designed with greater influence from left parties and movements. That is the great challenge we will face in 2026. The left cannot simply be more centrist; the left needs to be more left,” she concluded.
Together, the perspectives of Dani Balbi and Denis Alipov illustrate a world in flux, where old hierarchies are being challenged and new alliances are taking shape. Whether the promise of multipolarity will lead to a more just and inclusive global order remains to be seen, but the momentum for change is unmistakable—and the debate shows no signs of slowing down.
