The way out of a crisis? the role of cities in Europeanization: a study of Thessaloniki city diplomacy

ABSTRACT Even though many stakeholders generally acknowledge cities’ presence and growing importance in international relations, the impact of their autonomous foreign policy remains unclear. Despite prior observations of city diplomacy, knowledge of how intensively city diplomacy is interconnected with the foreign policy of central governments is vague. The article is therefore focused on the circumstances that push cities to undertake diplomatic action and the consequent implications for the Europeanization process of the region. The conclusions reveal that Thessaloniki city diplomacy leverages the Europeanization of the region and has the capacity to complement the Greek government’s foreign policy. The article also argues that the cross-border exposure of cities implies possibilities for further Europeanization of the region.