BRICS Summit: New Way to Balance the Powers
Leaders from emerging economies seek alternatives to the West and strengthen their position vis-à-vis established institutions

From today until Thursday, the heads of state and government of the BRICS countries will meet in South Africa. The summit is intended to highlight this group's efforts to create a transformed global order. The BRICS countries, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, represent 23 percent of the world's gross domestic product and 42 percent of the world's population.
The BRICS countries aim to end the "dictates of the West" led by the United States of America. This alliance was founded in 2009 and seeks alternatives to the established global balance of power. Its members want to establish a world order beyond the supremacy of the G7 countries and break away from institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The BRICS summit gathers not only the five member states, but also representatives of more than 30 other countries. The focus is on expanding the BRICS community, which is referred to as "BRICS plus." However, this expansion could be challenging due to disagreements among the members.
Another key theme of the summit is a move away from the U.S. dollar as the dominant global currency. The BRICS countries plan to trade more in local currencies to reduce the influence of the dollar. This is seen as a response to rising debt repayment costs and food prices.
Although Russia's President Vladimir Putin originally planned to use the summit to consolidate his position, he will be represented by his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov due to the presence of the International Criminal Court in South Africa. Putin would have been arrested on charges upon his arrival in South Africa. Nevertheless, his influence on the Johannesburg talks is expected, as the BRICS countries operate under his leadership.
The BRICS summit thus represents an opportunity to demonstrate the ambitions of these states for a changed global order and an alternative to Western influence. While the topics are broad, it is clear that the BRICS countries want to redefine the global balance of power. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
