What is smart power in international relations and which countries are currently implementing it?

It was January 2009 when Hillary Clinton appeared before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. an organization that was considering his nomination as Secretary of State.

In her speech, the Democratic congresswoman — who took office the same month under President Barack Obama — He has repeatedly mentioned that his country should implement the Smart power (or “smart power” in Spanish) in its international relations .

“We must use what is called Smart power, the full range of tools at our disposal – diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal and cultural – choosing the appropriate tool or combination for each situation . With a Smart power“Diplomacy will be the vanguard of our foreign policy,” manifest Clinton in Washington DC at that time.

Although this term was not invented by the lawyer and the diplomat, His statements found an echo .

Even then-Virginia Senator Jim Webb went so far as to state at the time that “The phrase of the week is ‘ Smart power » .

But beyond the Obama administration and Clinton’s efforts as Secretary of State, The concept of “smart power” is still widely used to this day. in the analysis of international issues.

Although it is not known exactly who first invented it, some suggest it was Susanne Nossel with an article published in Foreign Affairs —, there is a consensus that brings together two other concepts: hard power (“hard power”) and soft power (“sweet power”) .

The doctor of history and academic of the Adolfo Ibáñez University, Fernando Wilson, explains to La Tercera that “he hard power It is, according to Max Weber’s definition, the ability to impose one’s will on another without the other being able to offer any effective resistance. .

In this category, for example, there are edges that go from unfolding armament and military armies to exert pressure with economic sanctions .

It is “this harsh, imposing and coercive vision” summarizes the expert analyst on the subject.

On another side, the notion of soft power — mainly attributed to Joseph Nye, who explored the theme of power in his books — is applied “on the basis of the use of software tools or attributes associated with international admiration, assistance and cooperation” .

“Multilateralism is also part of it, in many ways. It soft power allows different international actors act and achieve their objectives without necessarily entering into a conflictual dynamic “.

However, Wilson points out that there are “dozens of versions” and “adapts to the shape of its container” .

“It’s very much like the image or archetype of a liquid, in that it doesn’t have a definite form. It can’t be used rigidly (…) It must be measured or analyzed according to the conflicting objectives and the wishes of the actors. internationals involved.

In the soft power they enter elements such as diplomacy and cultural influence . In fact, as an example, factors such as music, art, cinema, gastronomy and aspects that attract tourism could be part of this last point.

“Culture is the axis of what we mean by ‘soft power’, because it is in some way the engine on which this system operates” Wilson adds.

The international analyst and academic of the AUI emphasizes that although there are different definitions, he Smart power It can be described as “the adaptive capacity that a state’s foreign policy must demonstrate to recognize scenarios and act in the most efficient and effective way possible in pursuit of its objectives.” .

“What this suggests is that We must not close ourselves to a rigid solution or approach and impose it against all odds. while probably through other approaches it may be necessary and more fluid to use other tools.

In other words, avoid being tied to a soft power in a scenario where this is clearly no longer viable” . Or vice versa.

“A classic example of rigidity is Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” said Wilson.

“After the failure of his initial assumptions, he now finds himself trapped in a one-dimensional dynamic that is failing to evolve. It became clear that the war was not going to be won militarily during the second week of the invasion. We have had hundreds of thousands of deaths in the last two years due to lack of flexibility in using the Smart power “.

About this case, he added: “This is a society that, following the trauma of ceasing to be a superpower and the fragmentation of the Soviet Union, is today acquiring a model of behavior, a dynamic of attitude that is clearly aggressive and hostile. For how many, found in the hard power a kind of refuge from what one fears more than anything else, namely the perception of weakness “.

As expected, The case of North Korea is also left out. Smart power , to the point where “they have the problem of being on the defensive towards everyone, even towards their biggest allies like Russia and China.”

“There is no room for the application of anything other than the overall defense of the regime and that is why the use of hard tools, particularly nuclear deterrence, is necessary.” he added about the territory controlled by Kim Jong Un.

For Wilson, historical examples of effective demonstration of Smart power These are Great Britain, France and Spain. although the latter to a lesser extent.

“They are the greatest representatives of the dosage skill said the specialist.

In addition to these countries, there are international actors such as the Vatican and their ability to influence .

“And what better demonstration than (Pope) John Paul II in the final phase of the Cold War and in the dismantling of communism in Poland and Eastern Europe.

But, What’s going on with the United States?

“I would venture to say that the problem they have, beyond their enormous power, is that they are a relatively young international player… their experience in foreign policy as a superpower is, at best, 70 years old. That influences the fact that their departments — State, Trade and Defense — they still don’t have the capacity to apply it routinely as actors do with classical traditional diplomacy.

However, Wilson recalls that These concepts of power are not rigid, so interpretations may vary depending on circumstances. and the factors analyzed, among other points.

According to the specialist, a clear example of the effective and efficient use of Smart power she is Chinese .

“They even invented their own version of the soft powerin the way of “Panda Diplomacy” “.

Mention when, In mid-June, Premier Li Qiang visited Australia and announced the dispatch of a new pair of pandas. in one of their zoos.

It was the first visit by a Chinese premier in seven years, following tensions between the two countries. (after former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an investigation in the Asian country into the origins of the pandemic and the Chinese government responded by imposing high tariffs on products such as the wine they produce).

“Hold a brilliant demonstration of the application of Smart power » said the international analyst.