Beyond Institutional Differences: Exploring the Construction of Collective Identities of the EU and ASEAN as a Driver of Stability in Economic Performance and Intra-Regional Politics

Abstract

This article provides a comparative analysis of the factors explaining the stability in economic performance and intraregional politics of the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) between 1990 and 2008, despite their marked institutional differences. Its objectives are to examine the institutional designs of both organizations, explain their economic performance and political intraregional stability, and analyze the role of identity-building processes in such stability. The hypothesis posits that this stability is mainly explained by the construction of collective identities and interests, which emerged as a response to threats and/or crises: the end of the Cold War in Europe and the 1997 Asian financial crisis in Southeast Asia. These events strengthened cooperation and consolidated a sense of regional belonging. The study applies the comparative method from political science and is based on Alexander Wendt’s constructivist approach, as well as the dimensions of the Rational Design of International Institutions proposed by Koremenos et al. (2001): membership, scope, centralization, control, and flexibility. Results show that although the EU has a more centralized and normative design, and ASEAN a more flexible and consensus-based one, both achieved economic and political stability through the consolidation of collective identities. In the EU, the end of the Cold War reaffirmed a common identity centered on democracy, free markets, and human rights; whereas in ASEAN, the 1997 crisis fostered a regional identity based on flexible cooperation, non-interference, and respect for sovereignty. Overall, it is concluded that regional stability in terms of economic performance and intraregional politics depends less on institutional design and more on the strength of collective identities.