The President of the Board of Directors of ELIAMEP, Professor Loukas Tsoukalis, took part in the discussion held on 27 January 2026 at the Athens Concert Hall on the occasion of Theodoros Pelagidis’ book “From Inflation to Tariffs: The Overturning of the Liberal International Order.”
In his intervention, Professor Tsoukalis stressed that the liberal international economic order has been in decline for years and that President Trump effectively placed the final nail in the coffin. The accumulation of wealth and power, he noted, has been accompanied by large internal inequalities — especially in the United States — leading to a breakdown of the social contract and fueling a crisis of democracy and the rise of populist movements. He expressed concern about the functioning of democracy in the US. Turning to Europe, he highlighted a leadership deficit both at the national and the European level, arguing that progress can be achieved through “coalitions of the willing.” He also emphasized that European security and protection cannot be ensured without a strong European technological base capable of competing with the US and China, in an environment where markets operate on a winner-takes-all basis. Lagging behind in the digital transition and in artificial intelligence now raises existential questions for citizens’ rights and security.
The discussion also featured:
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Theodoros Pelagidis, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece and Professor at the University of Piraeus
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Dimitris Papalexopoulos, Chairman of TITAN Group
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Soti Triantafyllou, author and US historian
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