Integration, devolution and regional leadership

It is often said that we are evolving towards a borderless world. But ever since the end of World War II, the number of borders has been increasing. Not only are there now more states, there are also more internal borders as well as more groupings of states (with their own external borders) than ever before. Multiple layers of governance are becoming the norm in democratic societies. This situation, however, poses a number of challenges, both for sovereign states and for regions below and above the state-level. These challenges include questions concerning solidarity, efficiency and legitimacy. There are ample opportunities in dealing with these challenges, but the bottom-line remains: they demand a dramatic re-thinking of how to organise governance.