Author (Person) | González-Gómez, Teresa, Gualda, Estrella |
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Series Title | European Urban and Regional Studies |
Series Details | Vol.23, No.3, July 2016, p468-480 |
Publication Date | July 2016 |
ISSN | 0969-7764 |
Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
Abstract: Beyond the national political-territorial borders in Europe, the cross-regional dimension maintains an experimental democratic character. Entities developed to foster cross-border cooperation, such as working communities and Euroregions, are conceived as mechanisms of democratisation through the decentralisation of regional or/and local governmental bodies. However, scholarly debate suggests that the top-down policy-making process that is characteristic of cross-border programmes seems to cast doubt on the fulfilment of a European participatory democracy. In this respect, the cross-border cooperation process seems to contribute an added value to the dilemma of the European democratic deficit. The objective of this paper is to present a regional contribution to this debate through a study of local experts’ perspectives on the implementation and impact of cross-border cooperation policies in the southern Portugal–Spain border region and the possibilities for local and social participation. This paper utilises data from two related investigations in the southern cross-border area between Portugal and Spain, including qualitative interviews, focus groups and content analysis of secondary data. The results reveal a positive attitude towards the recent regional top-down initiatives of European integration, although local experts question the potential for the inclusion of local perspectives in cross-border initiatives. In addition, during this period of economic crisis, political contradictions may |
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Source Link | Link to Main Source http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969776413518781 |
Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
Countries / Regions | Portugal, Spain |