A New Realism for a World in Crisis — Marc Saxer

17. 12. 2025

In this episode, we sit down with political analyst Marc Saxer to explore his theory of Transformative Realism and why he believes we’re living through a profound systemic crisis. From the erosion of international norms to the urgent need for reimagined statecraft, Marc offers a compelling framework for understanding the forces reshaping our world and what political leadership must look like in response.

Marc Saxer

Marc Saxer is a political analyst, strategist, and writer with two decades of experience in international relations. He heads the Asia Pacific office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Shtiftung and convenes the Asia Strategic Foresight Group.

Publications:

Transformative Realism: How to overcome the system crisis

Geopolitical Conflict in the Wolf World: Great Power Competition and the Illiberal Revolt against the Liberal Order

Content

00:00 - Introduction
01:38 - Understanding Transformative Realism
04:50 - Defining Systemic Crisis
07:39 - Marc’s Most Compelling Crisis Case Study
15:08 - The Erosion of International Norms and Rules
18:24 - Recognizing the Signs of Systemic Crisis
20:18 - The Role of Agency in Transformative Realism
28:18 - Reimagining Statecraft and Political Leadership
33:44 - The Crisis in Modern Statecraft Education