The Greater Region, or the paradox of cross-border integration

This chapter offers a contextualized analysis of the intricate dynamics between cross-border integration processes and the corresponding political and institutional responses within the Greater Region encompassing Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxembourg. The disparities between economic interactions and political cooperation within this area serve as a remarkable case among European borderlands. The historical trajectory highlighted in the euroregion emphasizes that while cooperation and integration occur across borders, they do not inherently result in convergence and territorial cohesion. Faced with the presence of socio-economic disparities and asymmetrical power relations, cross-border integration is marked by the exploitation of cross-border differentials. Cross-border cooperation, for its part, struggles to bring together the visions and interests of the various stakeholders and ultimately appears incapable of meeting the challenges posed by a combined but unequal mode of development. More fundamentally, the Greater Region exemplifies the paradoxical nature of a cross-border regional construction confronted with the necessity to transcend borders, while in the meantime it relies on the exploitation of border-induced differentials. Beyond the specific context of the Greater Region, this chapter sheds light on the persistent nature of cross-border integration characterized by asymmetry and the perpetuation of cross-border differentials.