The region

An attempt and a temptation

Abstract

Discussion on the identification, construction and function of the region has broadened in scope and lost its focus. Although, since its optimistic beginnings in the 1960s, the concept of the region has advanced from local-authority level via the federal states to continental level, nowhere has it taken on contours which are in any way convincing. The lack of political control has become extremely striking. Indeed, those tendencies which are apparent tend to be destructive: examples of “regionalism” in Europe are discouraging. Nonetheless, the region does still have a future. Drawing together the principles of globalism and regionalism, which would allow step-by-step progression from continents — the “world regions” — to local authorities, could well provide the world with a new type of classification.