The Euro-Latin American space in time of social and geopolitical contestation: partners of choice

Abstract

The chapters in this volume analyze diverse subjects on the Euro-Latin American region. The contributors, coming from various fields and areas of expertise, elucidate the capabilities and constraints of the collective decisions and mechanisms that influence the interactions between the European Union and Latin America. The preceding chapters also illustrate the general trends of the relationship from several perspectives and, implicitly and explicitly, the interconnections across different disciplines. This chapter retrieves the main arguments, valuable insights, and perspectives from the experienced researchers and decision-makers who have contributed to this volume. The first part describes some elements of geopolitical contestation of globalization, which started with the collective dissatisfaction in numerous democratic and liberal societies regarding the limited delivery capacity of governments, paving the way for the erosion of democracy and polarization over the past two decades. The second part of the chapter explores the concept of the Euro-Latin American space, which has been affected by the transformations of globalization. The third part explains the context where the EU-CELAC summit mechanism was suspended for eight years, emphasizing how some partnerships of choice grew, others stagnated, and some others diverged. The final section presents some elements regarding the current resilience of the EU-LAC relationship.