GLOBAL REMUNICIPALISATION AND THE POST-NEOLIBERAL TURN

Project Information

GLOBALMUN

Grant agreement ID: 789100

DOI

10.3030/789100

Project closed

EC signature date 4 October 2018

Start date 1 January 2019

End date 30 June 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 766 277,58

EU contribution

€ 1 766 277,58

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - GLOBALMUN (GLOBAL REMUNICIPALISATION AND THE POST-NEOLIBERAL TURN)

Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project researches the phenomenon of remunicipalisation: a global trend on all continents for sub-national governments at local and regional scales to take formerly privatised assets back into public ownership and control. Since 2000, there have been over 1700 cases recorded. Remunicipalisations are undertaken following the failure or poor performance of privatised operations and the project is exploring how this trend is situated within broader debates about the movement away from neoliberal forms of economic governance of which privatisation has been a key element. The project also explores examples of new ‘municipalisations’
An important issue both for debates around urban governance and public policy more generally is whether these new forms of public ownership and the social relations created through them challenge the individualism and consumerism at the heart of neoliberal urbanism to create more collective forms of public provision and enhance social justice, democratic participation and social empowerment. How far can remunicipalisation initiatives become the vehicle for more radical, participatory and empowering forms of democracy through new forms of state and public institution? What governance structures exist in remunicipalised companies and what is the extent of democratic participation? How is the public represented through remunicipal organisations? These are major issues for wider society and democracy as a whole that need investigation.
The overarching aim of the research is to critically interrogate remunicipalisation and its implications for an emergent post-neoliberal urbanism. To address this aim, the project had three objectives:
1. to develop a conceptualisation of remunicipalisation that captures its diverse spatial, political and social forms;
2. to assess whether it leads to more progressive forms of state and public action;
3. to critically evaluate the democratic potential of the new forms of municipal public ownership that are being created.

The research has employed a multi-method transnational comparative analysis over sixth years (interrupted by the COVID Pandemic in 2020-2021). This has involved an extensive global survey element, comparative analysis across five different countries (Argentina, Chile, Germany, US and UK), and a multi-site ethnographic phase of individual remunicipalisation case studies in Argentina, US and Germany.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Work performed and completed includes:
1. the recruitment of the project team including two postdoctoral RAs and three PhD students (the final one starting in September 2021);
2. completion of the relevant data management and ethics procedures and submitted all the relevant deliverables.
3. Completion of all project work packages involving research fieldwork and comparative analysis of the remunicipalisaton and deprivatisation across five country contexts.
4. Supervision to successful completion of 2 PhD students.
5. Establishing with our civil society partners an online database, Public Futures, that is categorising and tracking deprivatisation and remunicipalistion. To date in September 2025 this features over 1,700 cases in 79 countries on every continent. The project team were successful in securing extra funding from the University of Glasgow’s Knowledge Exchange Fund (alongside partner organisation TNI) to establish Public Futures (see: https://publicfutures.org/)
6. Writing up and publishing research outputs. To date, this includes: the production of an 85,000 monograph in a first draft form (The Future of the Public, contracted with Verso); publication of 7 journal articles with a further 3 submitted and under revision; and 3 policy papers with non-academic partners (TNI, UCLG and PSI).
7. Dissemination of project findings through academic conferences, 2 dedicated project workshops and public engagement events with ILO and other UN bodies, UCLG and European and global public service trade union organisation.
Key results so far have been:
(i) the undertaking of a global mapping exercise and analysis with the finding that remunicipalisation is taking place in 79 countries in 92 diverse sectors, with 1,789 cases thus far. The research finds that remunicipalisation is most prevalent in Western Europe and North America where there has been greater pushback against initial privatisation processes. Remunicipalisations are strongest in energy (24%) and water (22%), with growing activity in telecoms, health, social care, and waste. Main motivations include improving service quality and reducing costs. Regaining local and democratic control are also important factors.
(ii) Detailed comparative analysis of five countries has revealed that remunicipalisation and de-privatisation are a response to the failings of neoliberal governance to deliver for essential public services. Although most remunicipalisations take place without major changes to top-down management and governance practices, it does appear (in those cases where there is data) to improve efficiency and delivery of public services..
(iii) There are some important examples of citizen mobilisation and democratic participation through remunicipalisation campaigns (particularly in decentralised states such as German and US). There are also examples of trade union renewal and increased democratic accountability across our case study countries. Further research and analysis of data from the project is ongoing into the relationship between remunicipalisation and alternative more egalitarian and democratic models of local development.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The monograph offers a major theoretical intervention in political economy, exploring fairer, more democratic, and sustainable economic models emerging from the current polycrisis of neoliberalism. Our Antipode paper advanced understanding of local municipalism and remunicipalisation using conjunctural theory and the work of Gramci and Hall and has recognition as one of the journal’s most cited papers. Additionally, our work on Latin American municipalism has enriched debates by highlighting distinct temporal and spatial dynamics in the global south.
The Public Futures database in mapping the global remunicipalisation trend has greatly enhanced our knowledge and understanding of local public services and ownership, and the capacity and effectiveness in tackling critical problems such as tackling inequalities in critical service provision and in tackling climate change. It is currently being finalised as a web hub and resource to advance academic understanding and be a tool for civil society to encourage best practice in achieving UN SDGs.

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