The Resilience of Regional Integration

This final empirical chapter evaluates regional processes classified under the third type of our typology (Integration), characterised by their higher levels of institutionalisation and greater interdependence among Member States. While these initiatives have historically been more robust, they too have been impacted by the dynamics of Liquid Regionalism. In some cases, these processes have undergone significant changes, including institutional reforms, or have demonstrated resilience in the face of disintegration trends. The case studies discussed include some of the oldest regionalist initiatives in the Americas, such as CARICOM, SICA, CAN, Mercosur, and NAFTA/USMCA. By examining these integration-focused regional projects, we argue that they possess the greatest capacity for resilience in the face of crises, whether economic, political, or health-related, as evidenced during the Covid-19 pandemic. As detailed in this chapter, the pandemic highlighted the ability of certain regional frameworks to deliver meaningful collective responses to the health crisis, despite facing scepticism from Member States and public opinion. These more solid regionalist arrangements owe their resilience to accumulated experience, institutional memory, and a well-established regional acquis. These factors have enabled them to survive crises, avoid the melting process observed in other regional initiatives, adapt to evolving regional and international contexts, and, in some cases, provide effective regional public policies to address shared challenges.