From Lisbonisation to Hyper-Lisbonisation: the long goodbye to EU Cohesion Policy’s original goals

2025/09/02 by Francesco Molica, Alessandra de Renzis, Sébastien Bourdin · 1 voice · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #European Union Policy and Governance #Polish socio-economic development #Regional Development and Policy

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/00343404.2025.2540361

openalex publication_date 2025/09/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

The paper examines the impact of major historical events, crises and theoretical models on the governance and objectives of Cohesion Policy over 25 years. It proposes a periodisation in three stages: Lisbonisation (2000–14), Territorialisation (2014–20) and Hyper-Lisbonisation (2020–present). In the first phase, Cohesion Policy aligned more closely with European Union-wide competitiveness goals. The Territorialisation phase sought to reconcile this course with place-based, bottom-up approaches. The Hyper-Lisbonisation stage, driven by recent crises, accentuates the focus on competitiveness through more (nationally) centralised and flexible governance to meet short-term priorities. The paper finds that across these phases, the policy has diverged from its original objectives.

Citations

• THE CASE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION: PLACE‐BASED VERSUS PLACE‐NEUTRAL APPROACHES*
• Cohesion Policy in the European Union: Growth, Geography, Institutions
• The four waves of regional policy: towards an era of trade-offs?
• Mapping uncharted territory: research gaps in EU cohesion policy from a policy-making perspective
• The evolution of Cohesion Policy in 40 years of economic policy agenda

Cited by

• A Union under siege, or a Union besieging itself? The EU's new budget and the future of European integration

Discussions

• #EU Cohesion Policy: a bulwark for regional equity, is becoming, according to @fmolica.bsky.social, De Renzis. @bourdinseb.bsky.social in @regionalstudies.bsky.social, a stabiliser for national crises [bsky, 3 points, 0 comments]

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