Regionalism has been a key feature of contemporary international relations. As the most successful case of regional integration, the European Union (EU) has been leading the international debate. Yet, in the past few years new regional practices have emerged in other continents, thus adding to the variety and scope of regionalization processes. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the state of regionalism in a global arena ever more dominated by emerging powers and shifting political/economic balances. Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis, which has invariably weakened Europe and its integration model, the book examines the pace of integration in Africa, Asia and South America, highlighting the opportunities and challenges that the new global order poses to contemporary regionalisms. Besides a number of empirical case studies focusing on the political, economic and legal aspects of regionalization, the book also discusses innovative theoretical approaches to the study of regionalism in a post-European context.

This book was originally published as a special issue of The International Spectator.

Contents

1. Introduction: Regionalism in a changing world Lorenzo Fioramonti Theoretical Perspectives 2. Comparative Regionalism: A Field Whose Time has Come? 3. Why We Need to ‘Unpack’ Regions to Compare Them More Effectively Europe at the Crossroads: Economic and Judicial Integration 4. Sovereign Debt Crisis in Euroland: Root Causes and Implications for European Integration 5. New Legal Instruments in a Changing World: Legal, Political and Cultural Developments in EU Judicial Cooperation 6. Africa’s Emancipation: Emerging Dynamics and Developments Breaking Free from Europe: Why Africa Needs Another Model of Regional Integration 7. Legal Harmonisation in Africa: Taking Stock and Moving Forward Regionalism Around the World: Expectations and Realities 8. Regionalism in Asia as Disguised Multilateralism: A Critical Analysis of the East Ast and the Trans-Pacific Partnership 9. Has Regionalism Peaked? The Latin American Quagmire and its Lessons 10. A Changing Mediterranean: Regional Organisations and North Africa during the Arab Spring Conclusion 11. Building Regions from Below: Has the Time Come for Regionalism 2.0? Lorenzo Fioramonti

Author Bio

Lorenzo Fioramonti, PhD, is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Pretoria (South Africa). His recent publications include Regions and Crises (Palgrave 2012), European Union Democracy Aid (Routledge 2010) and External Perceptions of the European Union as a Global Actor (Routledge 2010).