This article discusses of the Post-modern State in terms of International law.

At this beginning of 21e century, the State is indissociable Nation in the 192 countries recognized by UNO, thus one often speaks about the State-Nation. The State takes its origin in Europe since 1750 with the result of the philosophy of the Lights and it is still present later in this form 250 years. Some suggest reconsidering what they call the post-modern State in a context of topicality. The proposal more sails about it in this direction is the suppression of the national base like base of the State.

The process of establishment

This proposal is followed still little by the people and the governments, and, is mainly defended only by one handle of avant-gardists. However, of the formation processes of what could become in a few years or tens of year of the supranational States are in hand; most advanced is of course that of the European Union (UE) which in spite of the dysfunction and the democratic lack of legitimacy follows its course quietly, but there exist also international programs of integration advanced on the other continents and in particular very the promettrice African Union (UA) which already obtained a right of interference internal (a first in the history of the international law and the construction of supranational entities) and the MERCOSUR and the Andean Community of the Nations in Latin America. It seems at present that the general evolution of the States takes the way of process of regional integration like those of the EU and the UA more than that of a world total integration starting from organizations universalists like the United Nations. This evolution is logical because it is easier and less be likely for the State-nations to give up a share of their sovereignty to the gathering profit of restricted organizations of the nations which share many interests and common features cultural (what is already a long and hard process) to form universal institutions globalisantes in an international company which warp end still to be values and common rules.

Practical characteristics

From the point of view the post-modern State seems to be a federal State dissociated of all nationalist and chauvinistic bases practices.

He is also seen like a State without nation. Of this fact plus nothing opposing the countries at the institutional level, one would be in right to remove the Nations and to create a regulating and universal State for all the Earth. That requires that particularisms and differences be respected and that it functions within the framework of democratic institutions . One finds of this fact the federalistic assumption.

Remain however the problem of the orientation of the State, the suppression of the nation not removing the conflict between liberals and etatists, although it strongly clarifies the debate.

See too

• democratic Universalization

• world Democracy
• Governorship
• Federalism
• Jean-Marc Ferry (which thinks the postnational)