COMPARATIVE REGIONALISM AND THE CONCEPT OF COGNITIVE REGIONESS: THE CASE OF THE VISEGRÁD GROUP
COMPARATIVE REGIONALISM AND THE CONCEPT OF COGNITIVE REGIONESS: THE CASE OF THE VISEGRÁD GROUP

Summary/Abstract: The concept of cognitive regionness is a theoretical tool that was put forward by the Visegrád project of Political Regionalization of Visegrád Countries (2015-2018). The main objective of the project was to verify the nature and perspectives for cooperation of the V4 countries – Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland – during a period when the system of international relations was undergoing profound changes. Initially, this research endeavor sought to determine whether the integration efforts of small and medium-sized states make sense in the contemporary framework of international relations. The theory of comparative regionalism provided a series of answers in this regard. Another line of inquiry attempted to ascertain whether V4 states enjoy a deep cohesiveness. If so, a follow-up question sought to understand the roots of this “deep cohesiveness”. Was it based on long-term cooperation, or was it, rather a product of a temporary “utilitarian” cooperation, entirely dependent on the will of the politicians? Answers to this question are provided in the second and, especially, in the third section. The concept of cognitive regionness helped answer the aforementioned inquiries. The theory of comparative regionalism provides the methodological basis for our study. This theory was developed in the last three decades by the Institute of Global Studies at the University of Göteborg in Sweden. The concept of “cognitive regionness” represents an original contribution that compliments the concept of regionness introduced by this theory.

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