ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter examines the multifaceted crisis of the liberal international order, highlighting how its structural weaknesses facilitate the emergence and effectiveness of disinformation campaigns. These campaigns, far from being isolated phenomena, are embedded within a broader context of narrative contestation shaped by the declining legitimacy of key components of the global order – namely, the state system, mechanisms for peaceful dispute resolution, and frameworks for economic and commercial governance. By situating disinformation within this deteriorating international landscape, the chapter argues that such campaigns serve strategic political and economic objectives. It further explores how narrative struggles generate fragmented yet internally cohesive systems of ideological blocs, wherein audiences mutually reinforce and legitimize distinct worldviews. This dynamic ultimately challenges the normative trajectory toward liberal democracy, contributing instead to the entrenchment of alternative governance models.
