The Institutional Identity of Regional Organizations, Or Mercosur’s Identity Crisis¹

Abstract

In the last 15 years, the link between identity and regional institutions has received considerable academic attention, especially from EU scholars. Mostly, their focus has been on the ways in which European institutions affect, constrain, or constitute (or otherwise) state's and individual actor's behavior and identities. By contrast, international relations has been strikingly silent on the question of the identity of regional institutions. However, studying an institution's identity can highlight important aspects of its ''quality of life''; not least its ability to interact with other international actors and with its own constituent parts. This article argues that a clear identity is necessary for the organization to project itself internally, internationally, and temporally. The question of institutional identity-and the risks of failing to construct one-is explored by looking at the case of Mercosur, an association which, the article argues, suffers from identity crises in its three main identity dimension: political, economic and external.

La Alianza Del Pacífico Y El Regionalismo Latinoamericano: En Búsqueda De Una Revitalización Autonomista De La Integración

“…Así se exhibe la relevancia de las instituciones, entendidas como el resultado de ideas, objetivos e intereses comunes entre Estados. Estas cuestiones componen la fuerza centrífuga de los proyectos regionales y crean una suerte de armonía social que impulsa tanto su creación como expansión en términos de membresía y capacidades materiales (Oelsner, 2013).…”

“…Este aspecto ha contribuido a que la valoración hecha a la AP sea en referencia a su identidad institucional por sobre una identidad colectiva: mientras la primera expresión atañe a la articulación por motivos de interés racional, histórico o sociológico, la segunda denota un mayor grado de convergencia que se manifiesta en sentimientos compartidos de lealtad, solidaridad y pertenencia a una región por parte de los Estados, como ocurre en el caso europeo (Oelsner, 2013).…”

“…Partiendo de la premisa según la cual los factores identitarios son claves para la emergencia de procesos de integración como el resultado de una construcción social de los agentes estatales (Klabbers, 2015), el alcance material del proceso sometido a escrutinio se deriva de la influencia cultural y política de sus miembros, entendiendo que el proceso en sí mismo es una plataforma para la promoción de los intereses nacionales (Oelsner, 2013).…”

Institutional Contestation: Colombia in the Pacific Alliance

“…The PA has been a platform for the delegitimation of Brazilian‐led institutions through its challenging of regional norms, especially those of the Mercosur. It presents itself as a very pragmatic forum where results are achieved quickly, without much governmental disagreement and as an institution with a free‐trade‐agreement strategy intended to more effectively increase trade and attract foreign investment – in stark contrast to Mercosur's current identity crisis (Oelsner, : 125–126) and internal politicisation.…”

Interregionalism's impact on regional integration in developing countries: the case of Mercosur

“…This view came across most clearly in the interviews, and was not well represented in the academic literature. However, it can be inferred from some of the more pessimistic and/or cautious accounts of Mercosur survival (Gomez-Mera 2013;Malamud 2005;Oelsner 2013). Mercosur's external agenda, it was argued, had forced policy-makers into tackling issues and formulating common positions before they were ready to do so.…”