BRICS: Overpowered or Overrated?

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Abstract
Summary In sheer quantity, the five original BRICS countries appear impressive. They account for a substantial share of the world’s population, economy, trade and muster large militaries. In January 2024, BRICS gained even more steam, by admitting four new member states that participated in the most recent BRICS summit in Russia. Some Western media and politicians reacted alarmed. In September 2024, Turkey applied for membership as well. But can BRICS fully throw its weight on the world stage and form the intended counterweight to Western organizations? This paper systematically identifies commonalities, contradictions and conflicts of the BRICS states in different policy areas to ultimately determine whether they have sufficient common interests to act in unison. In essence, the various conflicting interests and in particular the intense rivalry between India and China make it unlikely that BRICS becomes more than a dialog platform for its members anytime soon.