The ‘New Regionalism’ as a Strategy for Crisis Management?

Abstract

The phrase "new regionalism" has two meanings. One refers to the new mode of governance the other is used for describing new forms of inter-country regional integrations. The author is discussing what role the latter plays in crisis management today. In this context new type regional integrations has two subgroups. One is searching solutions for the present world economic turmoil within the frame of the present, hierarchic structure of globalization and strives for corrections, modifications and refinement only. These are e.g. OAS, APEC and ASEM. The other type of new regionalism can be called "post neoliberal" regionalism. This is trying to put an other logic into the international economic connections by stressing the frames out of the traditional world order and building links on the basis of the solidarity and regional independence instead of putting the problems on the basis of market competitiveness into the centre of development. Such integrations are e.g. ALBA, UNASUR or the Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development.