The center of gravity of the world economy is gradually shifting towards new alliances. Faced with the loss of steam in Western institutions, another bloc is consolidating its influence. Since 1er January 2025, BRICS reached a new milestone by welcoming nine partner states. This expansion, decided at the Kazan summit in October 2024, strengthens their political and economic weight, and broadens their hold on emerging markets. The organization now accounts for 51% of the world's population and generates 40.4% of global GDP in purchasing power parity.
Strategic enlargement to strengthen the influence of BRICS
The enlargement of the BRICS took place on 1er January 2025, which constitutes a new stage in the evolution of the group. This decision, made at the Kazan summit in October 2024, responds to a desire to extend the influence of emerging powers on the international scene. Now, nine new partner states are joining the organization: Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
These countries do not obtain full member status, but gain expanded participation rights. They are now invited to extraordinary sessions of summits, as well as ministerial meetings, where they can contribute to the group's final declarations and strategic decisions. This enlargement reflects the ambition of the BRICS to increase their role in global governance, thanks to the integration of new actors from three continents.
For the Brazilian presidency, this expansion aims to “consolidate the place of emerging economies on the world stage” and “strengthen South-South cooperation”. With the addition of key nations from Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa, BRICS is diversifying its influence and strengthening its regional alliances. Among the new partners, Indonesia stands out for its demographic weight. With 280 million inhabitants, it becomes the third most populous country in the group, just behind China and India. Moreover, alongside it, Thailand and Malaysia provide an economic base that exceeds that of South Africa, which underlines the gradual rise of Southeast Asia within the alliance.
The integration of these new States confirms the rise of BRICS and their desire to rebalance the global balance of power. However, this enlargement also poses new challenges, particularly in terms of governance and political coordination, which risk making the functioning of the group more complex.
The challenges of an enlargement with divergent ambitions
The enlargement of BRICS represents a major step forward, but also sheds light on internal divergences and coordination difficulties within the group. Although this first wave of integration made it possible to broaden the influence of the bloc, it also reveals the limits of its expansion. Several invited countries did not follow up, which highlights the sometimes contradictory interests between members and candidate states.
Saudi Arabia, although courted for more than a year, has still not formalized its accession. This reluctance reflects strategic tensions, particularly in terms of energy and monetary relations. For its part, Argentina, under the presidency of Javier Milei, chose to withdraw from the process in December 2023, a few weeks after the election of the ultraliberal head of state. This turnaround can be explained by a stated desire to strengthen ties with Western institutions rather than anchoring ourselves in an alliance dominated by China and Russia.
One of the major challenges for BRICS will be to harmonize the economic and political ambitions of an increasingly diverse group. Thus, the integration of partners with varied profiles, such as Cuba and Indonesia, complicates decision-making. On the one hand, certain States adopt a dirigiste approach to their economy, while others rely on opening up to the global market. This heterogeneity risks hindering the group's effectiveness, particularly on key issues such as the dedollarization of international trade or the reform of global financial institutions.
Faced with these challenges, the Brazilian presidency insists on the need to “bring together the voices of developing countries” to better defend their common interests. However, divergences in economic trajectories and differences in governance could slow down the adoption of a unified strategy against the great Western powers. As the organization grows, the question of its internal cohesion becomes imperative. Further enlargement, if not accompanied by institutional reform, could weaken the ability of BRICS to effectively influence the global economic order.
The integration of these nine new partners confirms the BRICS ambition to extend their influence over strategic areas. However, this expansion calls into question the effectiveness of the group's governance. The larger the bloc becomes, the more calls for strengthened institutionalization become heard in order to avoid a fragmentation of interests. In this context, the redefinition of the international monetary system and the creation of alternatives to the dollar remain major objectives. However, the diversity of economic trajectories complicates the implementation of a common strategy. Without more rigorous coordination, the scale of this alliance could slow down its ability to weigh against the great powers. Thus, if the BRICS manage to consolidate their unity and overcome these challenges, they could lastingly modify the global economic balance and establish themselves as a solid counterweight to institutions dominated by the West.
Maximize your Tremplin.io experience with our 'Read to Earn' program! For every article you read, earn points and access exclusive rewards. Sign up now and start earning benefits.
