DESTABILIZATION THROUGH PARTNERSHIP? EURO-MEDITERRANEAN RELATIONS AFTER THE BARCELONA DECLARATION

THE NEW PARTNERSHIP THAT THE EUROPEAN UNION IS OFFERING ITS NEIGHBORS ON THE SOUTHERN SHORES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MAY HAVE MORE NEGATIVE THAN POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED. POLICIES OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION ARE NOT LIKELY TO...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mediterranean politics (Frank Cass & Co.) 1998-01, Vol.3 (2), p.1-20
Main Author: Kienle, E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ECONOMIC POLICY
Humanities and Social Sciences
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Political science
STABILITY OR INSTABILITY
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:THE NEW PARTNERSHIP THAT THE EUROPEAN UNION IS OFFERING ITS NEIGHBORS ON THE SOUTHERN SHORES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MAY HAVE MORE NEGATIVE THAN POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED. POLICIES OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION ARE NOT LIKELY TO INCREASE THE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES. LOSSES WILL OCCUR IN PRODUCTIVITY, INVESTMENT, JOB CREATION, AND OVERALL PROSPERITY. ON THE POLITICAL LEVEL, THESE LOSSES, WHICH WILL BE SEEN AS IMPOSED BY THE WEST, WILL POSE MANY THREATS TO INTERNAL STABILITY. WHILE INCREASING REPRESSION MAY GUARANTEE THE SURVIVAL OF REGIMES, IT WILL FURTHER ERODE STABILITY. EVEN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND AN EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE TRANSITIONS TO MORE PARTICIPATORY FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AND, THUS, STABILITY BASED ON MORE THAN REPRESSION. A SERIOUS YET CIRCUMSPECT POLITICAL DIALOGUE IS NEEDED AS AN ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE STABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES AND THE ENTIRE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN.
ISSN:1362-9395