Of Drifting and Directing: A global outlook on power, risk and opportunity in 2026

In this episode of Unconventional Knowledge, GIS Managing Editor Andrew Kureth is joined by Prince Michael of Liechtenstein, founder and chairman of Geopolitical Intelligence Services, for a wide-ranging outlook on the forces shaping 2026.

They examine Europe’s deepening leadership crisis, strategic drift, and defense shortcomings, alongside the erosion of trust in democratic institutions and the dangerous habit of trading freedom for control. The conversation moves from Europe’s economic stagnation and overgrown bureaucratic states to the global consequences of debt, regulation, and declining productivity.

Looking beyond Europe, Prince Michael assesses the geopolitical fault lines ahead, from Ukraine and the Middle East to Africa’s underestimated strategic importance, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and the emerging arenas of conflict in space and the Arctic. They also explore how disruptive technologies, from AI to energy and biotechnology, are reshaping power, opportunity, and risk.

Despite the challenges, the episode closes on a cautiously optimistic note, highlighting innovation, entrepreneurship, and a renewed role for business as potential drivers of renewal in an increasingly fragmented world.

A sober, unsentimental, and forward-looking conversation to start the year, focused not on headlines, but on the deeper signals decision-makers need to understand.

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