Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has warned that international law is being undermined by the "power of the strong," with democracies globally in retreat and authoritarianism on the rise.
Speaking at an event at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mr. Gerapetritis lamented a trend where international law is often sidelined or used as a "convenient alibi" for decisions that harm weaker states.
"Instead of the rule guiding solutions, the solution is decided first and then legal justification is sought," he said.
He described the current international environment as "unprecedented," noting that Russia's invasion of Ukraine shattered the perception that Europe was "impenetrable and shielded."
This shift, he argued, has revealed weaknesses in multilateral institutions and decision-making processes.
Mr. Gerapetritis highlighted three key risks facing Europe: the rise of demagogic populism threatening societies from within (the "Athens syndrome"); a potential collapse due to weak leadership and institutions (the "Macedonian empire" scenario); and the global trend where the "law of the strong prevails," pushing even established democracies toward de facto authoritarianism.
He cited recent democracy indexes showing a decline in democratic nations worldwide and stressed that the picture would be even bleaker if judged by rule-of-law standards.
Mr. Gerapetritis called for strengthening resilient institutions as vital for Europe's stability.