The institutional and economic foundations of regional proto-federations

Abstract

In the present paper we analyse the ancient Greek regional proto-federations of free-democratic city-states. We examine their political institutions and policies like common defence, representative federal bodies such as popular assemblies, parliament, state and regional organization, federal finance ministers as well as their economic institutions: common currency, federal budget and federal revenues. We address in more detail the case of the Aetolian League, or Federation, comparing it with some of today's federal states and the European Union and conclude that in some respects, the proto-federation was more advanced than the EU, and thus can serve as a benchmark in addressing current European integration issues.