Dialogue between Mexico and the EU: an analysis from the new multilateralism approach

Abstract

The practice of multilateralism today and its contemporary conceptual redefinition has different sources: the rise of emerging economies, increasing regional and sub-national politics and the intensity of regionalism. This study focuses on the growing role of civil society in this transformation of the coordinates that define the so-called New Multilateralism. The article problematizes, theoretically and empirically, the incorporation of civil society into multilateral settings or mechanisms by studying a particular case: after more than 10 years of the existence of the "Global Agreement" between Mexico and the European Union, it is important to analyze the incorporation of civil society into this relationship. Taking as their starting point the stakeholders’ strategies, the authors analyze the problem nexus concerning legitimacy and representativeness in the context of the dialogue between governments and civil societies in Mexico and the EU.

Keywords

• new multilateralism
• civil society
• Mexico
• European Union