Analysts from the Hoover Institution and other think tanks caution that while the BRICS bloc has successfully expanded its membership and boasts high ambitions, it struggles with internal coherence and the capacity for actionable joint policies, thereby risking its global credibility. The expansion to ten full members, which now account for approximately 44% of global GDP (PPP), was largely fueled by dissatisfaction with the Western-led international order and volatility from Washington, energizing BRICS as a crucial hedge for many nations.
However, the immense diversity of the expanded group—which includes states with profound geopolitical tensions (like Iran and Saudi Arabia) and varied economic structures—magnifies the difficulty of reaching a unified strategy. The bloc’s reliance on a consensus-driven governance model, while accommodating diversity, risks diluting its coherence and blunting concrete action on complex issues. Internal rifts, particularly on security and political matters, complicate the necessary institutional adaptation required to manage its newfound global influence.To capitalize on its growing global role, BRICS must urgently convert its momentum into coordinated, durable policy mechanisms. Policy experts suggest the group needs targeted, low-bureaucracy measures like standardized onboarding for new members and streamlined working group structures. The failure to deepen internal integration or articulate a clear, practical strategy for advancing its reformist aims could reduce the bloc to a platform marked by symbolic declarations rather than a cohesive, geopolitical force.
