The BRICS are expanding

By John McDermott

When the BRICS meet in Russia in October 2024 they will need a bigger stage than ever. Leaders of the five countries that gave their name to the bloc—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—will be joined by those from an additional six. The admission of Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will reflect how geopolitics is changing: the world is becoming more multipolar and middle powers more assertive in challenging the Western-led order. But the summit will also show the limits of what a heterogeneous “global south” can achieve.

In the 2010s the bloc was derided by the West. The economies of China and India grew rapidly but stagnation elsewhere meant the BRICS became synonymous with underperforming emerging markets. Other forums, such as the G20, were better places to thrash out thorny global issues. The BRICS lacked a purpose.