Archivi categoria: Filosofia

State, sovereignty, law and economics
in the era of globalization

 

 

Taken from my lectures as a Teachinig Fellow in International Law at Università degli Studi “Link”, these reflections highlight how State sovereignty and International Law are profoundly influenced by globalization, economic integration and digital technologies, raising fundamental questions about global governance, State autonomy and the adaptation of legal structures to new economic and technological realities.

 

Part II

International Law and economics

 

 

The periodic transformation of Private International Law invariably prompts questions regarding the existence of a public international organization endowed with the authority to promulgate regulations and ensure their adherence and implementation. The safeguarding of interests that transcend those of individual States was addressed through the establishment of the League of Nations and subsequently the United Nations. These entities mandated States to relinquish their right to engage in war and to uphold the fundamental rights delineated in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The concept of sovereign power as a market regulator diminished and ultimately vanished with the emergence of the European Community, which redefined national States from absolute sovereigns to associative sovereigns, thereby rendering the notion of sovereignty fluid and incompatible with rigid definitions.
The ascendancy of the concept of “supranationality” signifies a departure from the traditional notion of sovereignty, the decline of the conventional State model, and a redefinition of power, which is no longer confined to the territory under the sovereignty of individual States. By ceding portions of their power to supranational bodies and institutions, national States adopt a supplementary role, becoming components of a system characterized by layered sovereignties and integral to a global interaction framework where sovereignty is systematically dispersed and subject to the compelled abdication of increasing segments of authority.
Globalization is typified by the progressive self-regulation of the economy, asserting its independence from the State, which assumes an increasingly peripheral role. National sovereignty wanes as economic and social interactions become de-territorialized, accentuating the importance of transnational economic regulation and the centralization of global political decision-making. The market, evolving into an independent legal regime along with the lex mercatoria, reshapes global economic regulations, underscoring the adaptability and flexibility of transnational economic law.
Transnational corporations, unshackled from territorial constraints, represent a novel form of global sovereignty, orchestrating their operations according to the demands of the global market without specific allegiance to any State. This evolution signifies a pivotal shift in the State’s role in favour of market dynamics propelled by transnational enterprises, which emerge as central pillars of the global economy, influencing economies and markets through their investment decisions.
Within the European Union, the interplay between interdependence and the collision of sovereignties is especially salient, given its distinctive historical, cultural, and institutional attributes. European integration epitomizes a vital model for global cooperation. Nonetheless, the global financial crisis, epitomized by the sovereign debt and financial institutions crisis in Europe that commenced in 2008, has significantly impacted this integration process. Economic adversities may foster divergent dynamics: they may necessitate expanded collaboration, yet simultaneously encourage trends towards protectionism, hostility, and the resurgence of nationalism and populism. However, not all conflicts or procedural delays within international or supranational decision-making frameworks yield negative outcomes. In certain instances, the mutual dependency between States and communal entities may even intensify. The Economic and Monetary Union, for example, rests on four principal strategic pillars for the future: 1) harmonization of financial and banking oversight systems; 2) implementation of coordinated or unified strategies for taxation, joint budget management, and public debt mutualization; 3) centralization of directives for economic policy and national structural reforms; 4) introduction of new frameworks and structures to enhance the democratic legitimacy of EU and Eurozone central authorities. Nevertheless, the path toward European integration can be fraught with conflicts, where central powers, although legitimized and shaped by the national interests of dominant nations, tend to constrain national sovereignties, with various implications for community identity. At times, the integration process may appear uncertain, hesitant, and at times inefficient, influenced also by actors representing specific interests, potentially in conflict with collective ones. The ideal objective would be to channel sovereign tensions into a catalyst for augmented cooperation.

 

 

 

 

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State, sovereignty, law and economics
in the era of globalization

 

 

Taken from my lectures as a Teachinig Fellow in International Law at Università degli Studi “Link”, these reflections highlight how State sovereignty and International Law are profoundly influenced by globalization, economic integration and digital technologies, raising fundamental questions about global governance, State autonomy and the adaptation of legal structures to new economic and technological realities.

 

Part I

The role played by States within the international community

 

In the tapestry of the international arena, the dual concept of “sovereignty and independence” emerges as a foundational dyad, defining the essence and the prerogatives that are inherent to the identity of modern States. These attributes have persisted with remarkable consistency across the centuries, asserting themselves with renewed vigor in the current era of globalization.
From the inception of institutionalized international law with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, each State is recognized as sovereign – acknowledged as supreme and unanswerable to any superior authority – and is endowed with the exclusive jurisdiction over its territory, embodying the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs by other States. Within this framework, the individual is subsumed under the State, considered part of its sovereign domain.
The legal scaffolding of sovereignty in international law highlights the State’s inalienable right over its territory, establishing a singular authority over its inhabitants. This authority encompasses the exclusive right to govern and the capacity to enforce its will through coercive means if necessary, precluding any external encroachments on its autonomy.
Sovereignty, thus, is a principle that delineates identity and difference, straddling the realms of the transcendental and the empirical. It encapsulates the State’s autonomy, its inherent capacity to govern free from external subjugation, and positions the State as both subject and object within the domain of cognizance.
The essence of sovereignty is encapsulated in the ius imperii, the fundamental authority to command and govern, an authority that originates from the State itself and does not owe its legitimacy to any higher power. This original power establishes the geographical bounds of sovereignty, contained within the territorial limits where the State’s authority is exercised.
This construct of sovereignty fosters a relationship of coordination among States, a dynamic interplay replacing the hierarchical notions of subordination and superordination, reflecting a polycentric legal universe where the sovereignty of one State is balanced against that of another.
The evolution of the nation-State is rooted in the principle of sovereignty, an originality that confers upon States the legitimacy to wield authoritative powers independently. This sovereignty is manifested both internally, as the supreme authority over all domiciled entities, and externally, marking the state’s equal standing among its international peers.
The emergence of international and supranational entities has nuanced the concept of sovereignty, catalyzing a redefinition of State powers and their domains of influence. This recalibration acknowledges that certain communal interests are better served beyond the confines of national boundaries.
The acknowledgment and respect for State sovereignty remain pivotal in the ethos of the international community. The principle of effectiveness underscores the State’s presence and authority within the international milieu, predicated on its tangible establishment and dissolution.
The contemporary discourse on sovereignty navigates the tensions between the vertical legitimacy and horizontal legality, reflecting on Hegel’s dialectic of the universal and the particular. This interplay underscores the dual nature of sovereignty as both a transcendental order and a contractual horizontal pact among equals.
The narrative of sovereignty and its evolution reflects a dynamic shift towards recognizing the importance of a public international organization capable of legislating and enforcing global norms. This shift, exemplified by the establishment of the League of Nations and the UN, marks a transition from the traditional paradigms of sovereign power towards a more integrated and cooperative international order.
In conclusion, the dialogue on sovereignty and its transformation in the context of globalization and supranational governance underscores the intricate balance between maintaining State autonomy and embracing the collective governance of shared global challenges. This ongoing evolution reflects the adaptive nature of sovereignty in the face of changing international dynamics, heralding new forms of governance that navigate between the traditional sovereign State and emerging global governance structures.

 

 

 

 

 

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Denique caelesti sumus omnes semine oriundi

 

 

 

Complice una pasquetta uggiosa, questo pomeriggio ho ripreso un’opera la quale, già poco più che adolescente, mi aveva colpito moltissimo, anche grazie a un verso contenuto in essa: “Denique caelesti sumus omnes semine oriundi” (Siamo tutti generati da un seme celeste): il “De Rerum Natura” di Lucrezio, che si dispiega come un canto sospeso tra la ricerca della verità e l’abbraccio del mistero cosmico. Attraverso la profondità dell’essere e l’immensità dell’universo, Lucrezio intesse una trama di riflessioni sull’eternità della materia, sul moto perpetuo degli atomi e sulle forze invisibili che regolano la vita e la morte. Emerge un inno alla natura, veduta non come un dominio da temere o da supplicare, ma come una realtà da comprendere con la guida serena della ragione. In versi che oscillano tra il rigore scientifico e l’elevazione lirica, il poeta-filosofo invita a liberarsi delle catene dell’animo umano: la paura degli dèi e il terrore della morte. Nel tessuto della sua opera Lucrezio offre una visione liberatrice, dove il sapere diventa faro che illumina il cammino verso la pace interiore. Il “De Rerum Natura” è un capolavoro di sorprendente attualità, un appello alla razionalità e alla bellezza dell’indagine scientifica, intrecciato con una profonda riflessione sull’esistenza. È una esortazione a contemplare l’universo con meraviglia e rispetto, riconoscendo nell’armonia delle leggi naturali l’eco di una poesia senza tempo. Denique caelesti sumus omnes semine oriundi…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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