EU-Latin American Interregionalism

Abstract

The European Union and Latin America walked into the twenty-first century through different doors. In Europe, the 2004 and 2007 enlargements transformed the composition of the European Union, the Treaty of Lisbon sparked a turbulent debate about the scope of the integration process, and the prolonged economic crisis forced painful structural transformations in the Eurozone. In Latin America, the benefits of the democratic reforms and the free market policies raised the expectations of the population, producing a spectrum of decision makers ranging from socialists of the twenty-first century to devoted neoliberals. In the light of the historical moment that both regions are experiencing, this chapter aims to explore the feasibility of a fruitful interregional dialogue between Europe and Latin America. To provide some elements of analysis, this chapter reviews the main concepts surrounding the processes of regionalism and integration, examines the moment of regionalism in Europe and Latin America, and studies the analytical framework for the study of the interregionalism between the two.