Panarchism is a theory of political legitimacy proposing a global society of voluntary, non-territorial states established through explicit contracts between governments and prospective citizens. This article explores the foundational works and divergent legacies of two 19th-century Belgian panarchists – Gustave De Molinari and Paul Émile De Puydt – to clarify panarchism's core principles. In 1849, De Molinari introduced The Production of Security, advocating a free market for governance where non-territorial governments compete as alternatives to territorial states in safeguarding life and (...) property. In 1860, De Puydt published his seminal article ‘Panarchy’, from which the theory derives its name, endorsing voluntary, non-contiguous governments as a means of maximising individual freedom. While De Molinari is often seen as a precursor to right-wing anarcho-capitalism and De Puydt's ideas resonate more with left-libertarians, this article argues that these differences are rhetorical rather than substantive. By showing that a commitment to individual autonomy underpins both thinkers' work, the article explains how their divergent receptions are shaped more by external factors than theoretical discrepancies. Recognising this clarifies panarchism's theoretical coherence and offers contemporary political theorists a unified understanding of the panarchist view. (shrink)

Solidarity is a key concept in the European Union. However, the concept of solidarity lacks systematic theoretical examination to enable a sufficient understanding of its contextual meaning and to provide an operationalisable benchmark for analysis. To address this research gap, I propose an analytical framework for solidarity in the European Union that features four necessary conditions: particularity, instrumentality, reciprocity, and responsibility. I develop the framework through a transdisciplinary conceptual history approach, substantiated with a thorough document and legal analysis of European (...) integration and CJEU case law. I demonstrate the robustness and validity of the proposed framework by using EU asylum policy as a test case, a field where the question of solidarity is notoriously salient, which is exemplified by an area-specific expression of the concept: fair sharing of responsibility between the EU member states. Moreover, I show that the EU’s solidarity principle is necessary to maintain the bloc’s raison d’être. (shrink)