Southern Europe at a Glance: Regional Disparities and Human Capital

Abstract

Studying Southern Europe is not only about analysing and testing regional development models or putting into question the regional policy of the European Union; it also allows us to question the theoretical proposals for addressing the condition of the intermediate and peripheral regions. This introductory chapter presents a tentative interpretation of the current map of Southern Europe and the regional disparities of the four selected countries with a special focus on the link between human capital, space and economy. It is a presentation of Southern Europe, in a broad and comprehensive characterisation, with large-scale data and the most up-to-date information and attempts to bring an additional building block to the understanding of the persistence of peripheralism. Why are there regions with no capacity for flourishing? Is there really an inability to upgrade? Is there inescapable path dependence for Southern Europe or do we need new policies and measures? This is a descriptive and analytical text, seeking to highlight the characteristics and profiles of the regions of the four countries in Southern Europe. The chapter brings an attempt to a new insight into the concept of regional upgrading, in the context of the economic geography, exploring the concept of Social Filter proposed by others, before. A principal component analysis was carried out with the development of indicators on educational stock, economic growth, population, development, cohesion and regional convergence.