Midsize, yet global:
the imperative of punching above weight within the new world order

Simon Tay, Paweł Świeboda, Tanya Laohathai and Paweł Zerka
Policy paper

The world may not have become flat, just as the distance has not died, but globalization and interdependence are facts of life that hardly anyone can deny. This holds true, most of all, in the sphere of the economy which, when seen in a comparative perspective, is living through its golden age despite the global financial crisis. It may also be argued that globalization has firmly entered into the political, social, cultural and technological domains. Together with the economic development of countries from different regions around the globe, there is on-going convergence towards common values and standards. In this context, a strengthened position of small and mediumsized states in the global politics and economy has been brought to the fore. This concerns, most of all, the so-called ‘middle-income countries’, that usually have done relatively well in reaping benefits of today’s economic globalization, but whose further chances would depend on their political ability to shape their course for the future. In order to be able to take active part in the global power-game, they must reach for the fruit that is hanging above them by crafting their own globalization strategies and putting them into practice.
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