The Case for Political Integration in the Commonwealth Carribean – Lessons from European Integration
The Case for Political Integration in the Commonwealth Carribean – Lessons from European Integration

Summary/Abstract: The present article sets out to analyse the possibility of political integration among the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The inquiry relies on insights into and lessons learned from the history of European integration, CARICOM’s model, partner, greatest beneficiary, and, as the article demonstrates, ad hoc rival. The example of the European Community (EC)/ European Union (EU) is invoked to analyse the institutional architecture of CARICOM, and to sketch possible trajectories of functional and political spillover. It is argued that, in spite of the discouraging attempt made at federalism in the late 1950s, potentially fertile seeds of political union have been sown in the Caribbean, including (1) economic cooperation with regional redistribution, (2) well-operating functional institutions at the federal level, and (3) the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which, in a limited manner, carries the promise of becoming a supranational authority. However, the future implementation of such institutions continues to depend on the willingness of member states and their political elites, especially those of the more economically developed countries of the region.

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