How about this!
1) Third place loses nothing
2) Second place loses 50 perks
3) First place earns 20 perks
Man, that'll make the gang-bangers think twice before they start ganging up on someone... There is a reason for the second place country to actually 'stop' someone from being banged, ally itself with the miserable third place country and overpower the largest one, so they can become #1 themselves.
If this rule is introduced, when numbers are pretty much equal, all three countries will carefully engage each other strategically.
When one country is teeney, and the rest two are humongous, the largest two countries will mainly fight each other, with the smallest country relatively free from all that Mongol-Hoardish gang-bang crap.
When one country is huge, and the rest two are teeney, the smallest two will naturally be inclined to ally with each other and drive off the largest one. (Because, when the large country pushes in, while the two small countries fight amongst themselves, the harder they fight against each other the higher the chance of losing perks. The better you fight, the better your chance of being 2nd place at reset, and lose perks!! Muhahaha!)
This, IMHO, is a revolutionary and simple idea which will totally obliterate the gang bang crap in it's entirerity!