Closing the (Para)diplomatic Gap: Explaining Variation in Global Paradiplomat

The research project seeks to understand why some regional governments (the governmental level below central states) are more internationally active than others, a phenomenon known as paradiplomacy. I hypothesize this variation is influenced by the presence/absence of a patron state. A patron state is a foreign state which acts as an advocate of a region’s paradiplomacy, opening doors to other foreign partnerships and opportunities for more intensive international activities.

To test this theory, I compare two regional governments (Flanders and Wallonia) with different levels of international activity and different approaches to foreign patronage: Flanders clearly has a patron (the Netherlands), while Wallonia has an absent or unidentified patron (likely France).

To investigate the link between the theorized cause (foreign patronage) and effect (the intensity of a region’s international activities), I will spend the research internship gathering and analyzing primary data from two main sources: (1) semi-structured interviews with Flemish, Walloon, Belgian, Dutch, and French policymakers connected to paradiplomacy; (2) archival material from the Belgian, Dutch, and French national archives. I expect to find evidence suggesting Flanders’ and Wallonia’s international activities are influenced by their different approaches to foreign patronage.

Faculty Supervisor:

Louis Bélanger

Student:

Partner:

Université Catholique de Louvain

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Université Laval

Program: