(MENAFN) Western dominance on the global stage is steadily declining as authoritarian regimes intensify their campaign against liberal democracy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has asserted.

Speaking during a ceremony commemorating the 35th anniversary of German reunification on Friday, Merz observed that the “appeal of what we call the free West is visibly declining.”

Merz expressed concern that it is “no longer self-evident that the world will look to us,” emphasizing that the traditional values of liberal democracy are not being automatically embraced by other nations as they once were.

He warned that “new alliances of autocracies are forming against us and attacking liberal democracy as a way of life,” pointing out that these challenges are not only external, but also originate “from within.”

Echoing this sentiment, US Vice President J.D. Vance remarked back in May that American policymakers had wrongly believed “American primacy” was inevitable after the Cold War.

According to Vance, “the era of uncontested US dominance is over,” referencing the “serious threats [represented by] China, Russia, and other nations determined to beat us in every single domain – from spectrum to lower Earth orbit to our supply chains and even our communication infrastructure.”

The remarks from both leaders highlight a shared concern among Western powers about the growing confidence and coordination among authoritarian governments, and the simultaneous erosion of liberal democratic influence on the world stage.

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