Leaving Regional Organisations: Post-Exit Dynamics in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Spurred by the Brexit vote of 2016, exits from regional organisations outside Europe have recently received increasing scholarly attention. This new strand of research has broadly contributed to our understanding of states’ reasons for leaving as well as regional organisations’ responses to the threat or reality of diminishing membership. Much less is known about the regional dynamics unfolding after exit. The literature on Brexit has uncovered various aspects such as the complexities related to the shift from multilateralism to bilateralism, domestic adaptation issues, and various forms of re-engagement. But a systematic assessment of post-withdrawal dynamics that takes into account different regional settings is yet missing, although exits from regional organisations have been a regular occurrence since the early 1970s and have affected virtually all world regions. Addressing the handling of exits from regional organisations from a comparative perspective can produce valuable insights into the trajectories of regional cooperation and the future contours of a shifting global order. This panel seeks to gather research that examines the post-exit dynamics of state withdrawals from regional organisations from various perspectives. The aim is to explore exits from regional organisations not as an endpoint but as part of a process transforming institutional cooperation, embedded in the broader structures of regionalism. We are interested in contributions from a diverse range of theoretical and methodological approaches. We particularly encourage contributions that adopt a comparative perspective across different regions and continents, aimed at identifying patterns, divergences, and lessons from diverse regional contexts. Ultimately, this panel aims to foster dialogue between scholars of comparative regionalism, European integration and International Relations, providing new conceptual tools for understanding how regional organisations and (former) member states navigate the complexities of withdrawal.

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