Competitive regionalism and the territorial governance of uncertainty

Abstract

This article focuses on the model of local regulation of economic uncertainty that can be described as ‘ competitive regionalism’, a governance mode characterized by its own rhetoric, key actors and political economy. The first part of the article presents a contradiction: on the one hand, private actors and market regulation have gained much importance, but on the other this process of marketization has been partly balanced by the role played by local governments, collective actors and other bodies and organizations, although trade unions are playing only a weak role, especially where they do not have a local territorial base. Thus, marketization seems to increase rather than reduce the need for intervention by public actors and collective organizations able to reduce externalities produced by the market. The second part of the article shows the impact of the economic crisis on the model of competitive regionalism and a number of possible policy implications.