The End of Absolute Sovereignty: From Ruling to Managing Interests
By: Lawyer Tareq Abu Ragheb
In a time of accelerating transformations in the international system and the erosion of classical concepts of the state, absolute sovereignty has become no more than rhetorical residue from the Cold War era—an abstract model no longer sustainable in a deeply interconnected geo-economic reality. Globalization, with its rise in capital flows, integrated supply chains, and supranational entities influencing domestic policy, has undermined the traditional sovereign state structure in favor of what is now known as the compartmentalized state of sovereignty.
The Collapse of Totalitarian Power and the Rise of Interest Management
Authoritarian models that once operated through rigid centralized control—fed by nationalist, socialist, or religious ideologies—can no longer survive in a global environment governed by market dynamics and in which governments are assessed based on their risk management capabilities, growth performance, and ability to attract cross-border investment.
Governance today is no longer an expression of autonomous sovereignty, but rather a form of “negotiated interest governance”—a hybrid model where national security intersects with macroeconomic imperatives, and public policy is shaped by non-state actors (corporations, funds, supranational platforms).
Constrained Sovereignty: From National Independence to Strategic Interdependence
We now live in a state of constrained sovereignty, a condition imposed not only by global financial institutions (like the IMF and World Bank), but also by the normative standardization of policies by regional organizations, credit rating agencies, and multilateral trade agreements.
No country today can formulate trade, monetary, or environmental policy in isolation from global calculations. Even countries advocating for detachment from the global order remain—willingly or unwillingly—embedded within the infrastructure of the global economy.
The Economy as a New Instrument of Power
Traditional geopolitics, centered on military balance, has given way to geo-economics—the strategic use of economic tools (sanctions, trade agreements, investment flows) as instruments of influence. Governance is now a multi-dimensional act, integrating economic, financial, technological, and demographic variables.
Of particular concern is the rise of surveillance capitalism, as described by Shoshana Zuboff, where data is no longer confined to states but monetized by tech conglomerates exercising sovereignty-like influence, reshaping the citizen-state relationship.
The State as a Hub for Transnational Interests
The modern state is no longer a rigid entity governing territory and population, but a regulatory platform for managing overlapping interests:
• Domestic (social, developmental, productive)
• External (strategic partnerships, free trade agreements, security alliances)
• Cross-border capitalist (corporations, funds, logistical and data companies)
This makes governance a more complex task than ever, demanding skill in redistributing influence without forfeiting sovereignty, and in openness without falling into dependency.
Beyond Self-Sufficiency: Economic Security as the Alternative to Isolation
Even the idea of “self-sufficiency” is being redefined. Modern states no longer aim to produce everything they need, but to achieve resilient economic security—through diversified imports, strategic reserves, and strong bargaining capacity in global markets.
Thus, modern sovereignty lies not in seclusion, but in the ability to manage relative fragility with strategic intelligence.
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Conclusion: Toward Smart Sovereignty, Not Absolute Rule
In the digital-global era, governance is no longer a sovereign privilege, but a shared responsibility between state, society, and markets—exercised through smart sovereignty, which balances independence with integration, and control with adaptability. Absolute sovereignty is now a classical term with no place in a reality governed by layered interests, not unilateral decisions
