Reviewing the world’s major political events in 2025, we see a picture that is at once confusing and disturbing for those who seek to defend Christian civilization. So much has changed that we can no longer observe the patterns and logic to which we are accustomed.
Rather than develop several topics that impacted the world, we will focus on one central theme that stands out above all others. It is the increased geo-political fragmentation of society. This trend will help us to better understand what happened in 2025 and prepare us for the future.
This topic will also help us realize that we are witnessing a dramatic breakdown of the institutions, practices, and rules that have dominated the post-World War II order.
One effect is the increased polarization that is creating irreconcilable divisions. Another is that the once-formidable unity of the liberal establishment throughout the West is shattering, while a new, undefined state of things is emerging.
Thus, we will explore how this particular trend dominated world news in 2025. To better understand the year, we need a prism through which to interpret events. The book, Revolution and Counter-revolution by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, will be our prism.
Revolution and Counter-Revolution
According to the logic of this important book, modern history is a struggle between two forces: the enemies of the Church and Christendom (the Revolution) and those who defend Christian civilization against them (the Counter-Revolution).
This Revolution (with a capital R) is the unifying force of a vast attack upon Christianity that spans centuries. This Revolution is a process that takes the world to ever greater phases of revolt against Christian order.
Thus, we will examine the forces of Revolution and Counter-revolution in 2025. We will discuss the year’s political fragmentation within a revolutionary process to understand how we arrived at our current state and where it might be headed.
How We Got Here
The present stage of the revolutionary process begins with the triumph of the liberal post-World War II order, which has dominated economics, politics, and culture. This framework created a liberal establishment based on the rule of law, free markets and political freedom.
This “classical” phase of liberalism has produced a stable yet frenzied prosperity, a distorted notion of freedom and a relativistic consensus about how to maintain order. However, liberalism also has self-destructive elements. Especially noteworthy is its tolerance for immoral behaviors under the guise of distorted personal freedom. This acceptance proves corrosive to liberal society in general and hostile to the Church in particular.
The sexual revolution of the sixties gave rise to a more revolutionary form of liberalism promoted by those who favor a radical unleashing of the unbridled passions. These new revolutionaries question all certainties, restrictions and rules. Thus, for example, the “transgender” movement calls into doubt the notion of identity and cancels those who dare to think the contrary.
The events in 2025 reflect a violent clash within liberalism between those who want to preserve the classical liberal order and those who want to take liberal principles to their extreme consequences, envisioning a “woke” society without limits.
Attacks on the Old Liberal Establishment
Thus, 2025 was a year when the classical liberal establishment and its corresponding world order suffered unprecedented attacks from both the right and the left. A major shift is happening.
This change can be seen in the breakdown of the post-war consensus of getting along due to growing discontent with the present system. Internationally, we are witnessing the dismantling of the West. Everywhere, we see the politics of disruption challenging old assumptions.
The key aspect of this change is its disruptive nature. It is not the content of the disruptive measures that is problematic, since they often involve needed reforms and forgotten moral principles.
What matters most is the idea of disruption itself. We are witnessing an abrasive and aggressive approach that disregards established rules and protocols. The result is a disconcerting rule of chaos, a proliferation of destructive actions and the scrambling of age-old alliances.
The Rise of Populism
In 2025, the most important manifestation of this disruption was the rise of populism on both the left and the right. The return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency gave a huge impetus to this worldwide trend.
Many of last year’s elections reflected how the discontent triggered voter dissatisfaction, fueling this rise of populism.
We can observe the same disruption wherever populism has emerged, particularly in Europe and Latin America. On the left, the victory of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City represents a socialist version of populist politics.
The U.S. and Global Realignments
In 2025, we can also observe new global realignments that have turned the world upside down. At the same time, nations like China and Russia have taken advantage of the disruptions and the resentments they generate. They offer anti-Western alternatives.
One manifestation of this realignment is the scrambling of the postwar trade relationships carefully developed over decades with the return of protectionism and trade wars.
The most important step in this regard was America’s tariff war with almost all nations. This move rewired global supply chains. At times, the tariffs alienated friends and allies and even showed sympathy toward some hostile powers (like Russia).
Thus, some nations are having recourse to alternatives with anti-Western policies. For example, the rise of the BRICS nations, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and others, directly challenges America and Europe.
Indeed, the consistent and calculated actions of China have offered deals to some nations that feel victimized by the aggressive populist realignment.
Military Ties Weakened
In 2025, this realignment shook the military alliances that had been in place since World War II. NATO and other Western defense pacts were significantly weakened as a more nationalist approach has taken hold.
Again, America is the most active player in this game. Allies in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are responding by seeking alternative partnerships, bolstering their national defenses, and diversifying their international relationships.
Meanwhile, the ominous alliance of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea has been strengthened in 2025, creating a much less stable world.
The concrete effect of these weakened ties is festering conflicts. In 2025, wars in Ukraine and Gaza continued creating new divisions in this realigned West. The studied diplomatic efforts that characterized past treaties have been replaced by hastily signed agreements that leave essential details unresolved.
Fighting the Woke Agenda
This disruptive realignment has also had a positive effect by weakening the agreements that tied nations to leftist, ecological and woke causes. The United States, for instance, withdrew from global climate commitments, such as the Paris Agreement.
Indeed, nations were freer to oppose immigration, eco-alarmism, woke ideology and transgenderism due to this new nationalist outlook. In 2025, the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mandates that once held great sway in business were defeated everywhere.
This disruption has been particularly effective in overturning classical leftist political models and governments. Elections in 2025 resulted in the defeat of leftist candidates in Bolivia and Chile. They join Argentina and Paraguay, which already have conservative governments. Future elections in Colombia and Peru are projected to veer right as South America rejects leftist models.
Despite these benefits that weaken the left, the lack of a familiar framework among nations creates friction and tension between the newly forming blocs of nations. It sets the stage for a new global configuration.
Where We Are Going
Thus, the rise of political fragmentation represents a step forward in the revolutionary process, as this disruption favors more uncertainty and disorder. The Revolution progresses with these trends because its goal is more than just a realignment of old alliances.
In 2025, we saw significant steps toward the dismantling of the West and its corresponding Christian foundations. In its place is the forming of what many leaders (including American Secretary of State Marco Rubio) are calling a “multipolar” world, embracing a new postmodern narrative.
What Is a Multipolar World?
The rise of a multipolar world represents a reconfiguration of the postmodern world, shifting away from traditional Western-led economic and political structures toward a system with multiple poles of influence and ideologies. The more radical “poles” call for the overthrow of the West.
In the place of the West, the new model no longer relies upon universal principles like the rule of law that all nations must respect, but a shattering of values according to dictates of “civilization states” headed by the U.S., E.U., China, Russia, Islam, Africa and Latin America—all considered equal narratives.
Such a move is revolutionary from the perspective of Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira’s Revolution and Counter-revolution, which defends Christian order. This new worldview maintains that there is no objective truth or morals. Everything is determined by the civilization states—be they communist, Islamic, secular or other.
One of the major proponents of this view is Aleksandr Dugin, a close advisor of Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He openly calls this move a revolution, which will be greater than the Communist Revolution of 1917.
Putting 2025 in Perspective
There are many other events worthy of note in 2025. However, they all take place inside a whirlwind of this perplexing disorder.
In our overview of the political situation in 2025, we have sought to put the radical changes occurring around us into perspective by framing them as a major paradigm shift.
Indeed, we must view the upsetting of institutions and procedures as more than random happenings. These new changes target the Western world as we know it. They threaten its Christian foundations, which have benefited the world so greatly.
In 2025, we saw these disruptions take the form of major realignments, which are shaking up the world stage, undermining certainties and established practices. These processes may also uproot harmful liberal woke values, but they do not signal a return to Christian order. Springing up around these processes are efforts by nations like China that undermine the West and install leftist ideologies as major models.
Indeed, this “multipolar” world is based on a process with mysterious, hidden and relativistic goals that are far from the Christian civilization that we seek.
Facing the Future
This plan for a multipolar world is full of complications and contradictions. The disruptive and disordered nature of political fragmentation works contrary to its goal. In addition, remnants of good order are obstacles to the implementation of this revolution.
In 2025, many conservatives continued to oppose the dismantling of the West. Others fought in the culture war that supports Christian morals. We might mention the increased polarization that forced conservatives to define their positions, affirm the truth and recognize universal moral codes.
Thus, the battle is far from over.
In addition, we must not limit our horizons to political battles. The spiritual sphere has an enormous influence on the history of nations. The record number of conversions to the Catholic Faith in 2025 demonstrates the action of God within souls, making all things possible.
All these spiritual actions have implications in political events and can be major counter-revolutionary obstacles that oppose the imposition of a new multipolar world.
The year 2025 was a challenging year for all those who defend tradition. As we enter 2026, we must confide in God and the Blessed Mother to give us the strength and insight to carry on the Counter-revolutionary struggle.
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