Economic Nationalism in the Era of Geofragmentation: What Does it Mean for Developing Countries?

December 6, 2023

The Policy Center for the New South is organizing a webinar on “Economic Nationalism in the Era of Geofragmentation: What Does it Mean for Developing Countries?” on December 6th, 2023 at 3.00 PM (GMT+1), in the framework of the PCNS Webinar Series – The Global Economy in Transition: Implications for Developing Countries.

The global economic landscape is witnessing a surge in economic nationalism and geofragmentation, presenting challenges for developing countries. The Policy Center for the New South is organizing a webinar to delve into the potential impact of these trends on developing nations worldwide.

This webinar aims to explore how economic nationalism policies, including protectionism and import substitution, may result in heightened trade barriers and restrictions on foreign investment. Such developments could diminish the integration of developing countries into the global economy, with consequential effects on growth and poverty alleviation.

Moreover, the webinar will assess the influence of rising economic nationalism and geofragmentation on developing countries' endeavors to integrate into regional trading blocs. While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aspires to establish a single market for goods across the continent, the emergence of regional trading blocs in other parts of the world may pose challenges to global economic integration efforts.

The potential implications extend to the realm of investment, where developing countries heavily depend on foreign investment for economic development. Any obstacles to such investment could impede growth prospects. Additionally, the industrialization efforts of developing nations may be affected if economic nationalism policies stimulate the establishment of domestic industries that could compete with their nascent industrial sectors.

Speakers
Abdelaaziz Ait Ali
Head - Research in Economics
Abdelaaziz Ait Ali is a principal Economist and head of the Research Department at the Policy Center for the New South. He joined the Center in 2014 after five years of experience at the Central Bank of Morocco. He worked as an economist in the International Studies and Relations Department and was analyzing the real estate price index and financial asset prices for monetary policy and financial stability purposes. Since then, Abdelaaziz has focused on cyclical and structural issues of the Moroccan economy, including macroeconomic management and industrial policy design. He has published articles on the reform of the exchange rate regime in the Moroccan economy and its implications for macroeconomic regulation, as well as on the evolution of the macroeconomic framework over th ...
Guntram Wolff
Director, Bruegel , Belgium
Guntram Wolff is Director of Bruegel. His research focuses on the European economy and governance, on fiscal and monetary policy and global finance. He regularly testifies to the European Finance Ministers' ECOFIN meeting, the European Parliament, the German Parliament (Bundestag) and the French Parliament (Assemblée Nationale). From 2012-16, he was a member of the French primeminister's Conseil d'Analyse Economique.  Guntram Wolff is also a member of the Solvay Brussels School's international advisory board of the Brussels Free University. He joined Bruegel from the European Commission, where he worked on the macroeconomics of the euro area and the reform of euro area governance. Prior to joining the Commission, he was coordinating the research team on fiscal policy at Deuts ...

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    March 7, 2025
    Chaque jour, en moyenne, les femmes marocaines consacrent près de cinq heures à des tâches domestiques (cuisine, ménage, courses, soins aux enfants, etc.). Elles assurent plus de 90 % du temps total consacré aux tâches domestiques par l’ensemble des hommes et des femmes. Ce travail non rémunéré représente des services indispensables qui participent au bien-être matériel des personnes et des foyers sans pour autant apparaître dans la production nationale, telle que mesur ...
  • March 6, 2025
    In this episode, Vicky Aridi discusses the pivotal role of Youth Economic Opportunieis (YEO) 2030 in advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 by fostering decent employment opportunities. The conversation highlights the importance of promoting green jobs and sustainability, while ...
  • March 6, 2025
    In this episode, Gerold discusses the crucial role of education and entrepreneurship in unlocking opportunities for youth in Southern Africa. The conversation explores innovation ecosystems in the region and the importance of collaboration between entrepreneurs and policymakers to foste...
  • March 4, 2025
    شكلت قمة فوكاك 2024 لحظة حاسمة في مسار العلاقات الصينية الإفريقية، حيث تمخضت عن توقيع اتفاقيات كبرى تشمل قطاعات حيوية مثل البنية التحتية، الطاقة، التجارة، والصناعة. كما أعلنت الصين عن استثمارات بقيمة 50 مليار دولار لدعم التنمية في إفريقيا خلال السنوات الثلاث المقبلة، إلى جانب إطلاق عشر ...
  • February 28, 2025
    Dans ce podcast, nous explorons le Ramadan sous différents angles : social, spirituel, éthique et économique. Nous mettons en lumière la solidarité, l'ascèse alimentaire, ainsi que l'impa ...
  • Authors
    February 24, 2025
    The Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) has for over a decade advocated for the pooling of expertise, perspectives and resources to benefit developing nations, in Africa, around the South Atlantic and across the South. The need to take inspiration from one another and share analysis and good practices with each other is as pressing as it has ever been, as countries of the South strive to accumulate knowledge, capture value added and move up the value chain. Our center has notably ...
  • Authors
    February 21, 2025
    Africa First, But Africa Not Alone As the world grapples with economic fragmentation, geopolitical realignments, and an accelerating polycrisis, Africa finds itself at a historic crossroads. With its vast resources, demographic dynamism, and a growing consumer base, the continent has the potential to reshape global economic narratives. Yet, this potential remains constrained by inadequate infrastructure, limited access to global finance, and persistent structural vulnerabilities. I ...
  • February 21, 2025
    In this podcast, Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leader Eduarda Zoghbi highlights the growing influence of the Global South and advocates for the inclusion of younger voices in global discuss ...