Globalization and Economic Integration

The 17 chapters in this Special Issue consider whether the ongoing international processes jeopardize globalization and integration or whether they require different approaches or offer new opportunities. The Special Issue explores the challenges and trends of globalization and its coevolution with integration processes and analyzes the forces fostering economic integration, disintegration, decoupling, de-risking, and confrontation. Attention is paid to processes that are leading to a multipolar world economy. The consequences for financial markets, labour markets, international trade, value chains, and policy making are also considered. Along with duly exploiting the advantages of disciplinary specialization, the Special Issue includes contributions from different brands of economics to account for the complex and multifaceted nature of globalization and integration, and for the multiple and non-linear interrelations, with feedback and circular processes playing a prominent role. The purpose of the Special Issue is to investigate the nature of globalization and integration after years of exogenous and endogenous shocks and conflicts, analyze the evolving features of globalization and integration and their differences with globalization at the end of the 20th century, their coevolution with integration processes, and the reactions to recent challenges. It also considers opportunities, challenges, and vulnerabilities that jeopardize convergence and can prevent, impede, or revolutionize future integration and globalization processes.