Essay 25: One Size Doesn’t Fit all: Why Eurocentric Assumptions Limit the Explanatory Power of Mainstream Regionalism Theories in the Global South

Abstract The postwar global order has witnessed a significant rise in regional organisations. In 1955, each state was, on average, a member of 1.1 regional organisations; by 2015, this number had grown to 4.8 ((Panke, D., & Starkmann, A., Comparative European Politics 19:1-25, 2021), p. 8) and has now surpassed five as of 2024. These mechanisms, supported by regional agreements, reflect a global trend of institutionalising and deepening inter-state cooperation to pursue shared political, economic, security, or other goals—a process which begins with cooperation and may develop into integration. Regional organisations generally promote this transition and seek to deepen integration further.