ABSTRACT
This paper considers the limits as well as the opportunities for democratic policymaking in a globalized world by reflecting on the EU structural funds (i. e. cohesion policy). The EU structural funds have been taken as a point of reference because it is, on the one hand, not only directly related to global competition and should achieve regional competitiveness in a globalized world. However, on the other, the EU structural funds are characterized by a high degree of political autonomy and democratic discretion in policymaking in the member states and their subnational levels of government.
