Substantial changes in the recent history of international relations between global economic and political forces call for a reflection on the reconfiguration and reorganization of the international political system.

Typical of this context is the complex process of destatization, which stems from the crisis in the State and the concept of sovereignty determined by the growing interdependence of international relations.

Key to the understanding of destatization is the concept of neopatrimonialism as defined by Breuer, the “private appropriation of public rights”.

These concepts form the basis for a reflection promoted by FEEM in a series of lectures on the topics currently characterizing political shifts in sub-Saharan Africa, a subcontinent that is experimenting with some of the most original forms of governance in the world.

On June 25 Professor Funké Michaels will hold the first lecture at Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, entitled: “Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: the Role of Intermediate State Powers in Economic Growth”.

Abstract of the Lecture
Over the last decade, the important economic growth of the African continent, in terms of significant increase in foreign investments, digitization and domestic markets, is seen with hope. However, there are many countries scarred by permanent conflicts, in others the cultural and educational structures of the State or civil society are weak, while in the more stable countries there are important imbalances and inequalities that clash with the Sustainable Development Goals contemplated by the 2030 Agenda. Within this vast scenario, the role of the state in Africa is hybrid and changing: the tribal system, the chefferie and the relationship between intermediate state powers and institutions are the central theme of this lecture. The focus is on governance models adopted under the aegis of the central state with respect to power systems historically accustomed to nepotism, patronage and clan alliances and their relations with the penetration of the market economy.

Watch the video clip where Professor G. Sapelli introduces the series of FEEM lectures on Sub-Saharan Africa.