What is the 'rules-based order' and can it survive?

"Marco Rubio considers it an "overused term" while Friedrich Merz thinks it "no longer exists"."

""We knew the story of the rules-based international order was partially false, that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient, that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically, and we knew that international law applied with varied rigor, depending on the identity of the accused or the victim,""

""Stop invoking rules-based international order as though it still functions as advertised.""

""Both described the system developed under American leadership after the end of the Second World War with the UN and the Bretton-Woods institutions as its core pillars.""

The rules-based international order denotes multilateral laws, agreements, principles, and institutions that manage interstate relations along liberal lines. The system grew from post–Second World War structures centered on the UN and Bretton Woods institutions under American leadership. Recent developments include tariff disputes, asymmetric enforcement of trade rules, and selective application of international law, which have undermined confidence in universal adherence to agreed rules. Political leaders and officials express divergent views, ranging from calling the concept overused to asserting its effective disappearance, prompting renewed examination of its relevance and durability.

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