Patrick Le Galès is CNRS Senior Research Fellow at the Centre de Recherches Administratives et Politiques, University of Rennes, and Associate Professor at IEP Paris and IEP Rennes., Christian Lequesne is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Internationales of the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, Paris, and Associate Professor at IEP, Paris, and College of Europe, Bruges.

• Introduction, Patrick Le Galès, Christian Lequesne; Part 1 The regions in Europe; Chapter 1 Is there a regional level of government in Europe?*Translation Uttam Bharthare., Michael Keating; Chapter 2 The region as the new imagined community?*Translation Uttam Bharthare and Claire O’Neal., Marie-Claude Smouts; Chapter 3 Intergovernmental relations and regional government in Europe, Vincent Wright; Chapter 4 The sub-regional level*Translation Uttam Bharthare., Andy Smith; Chapter 5 The political capacity of southern European regions*Translation Uttam Bharthare and Claire O’Neal., Evelyne Ritaine; Chapter 6 Regions and economic development, Mick Dunford; Part 2 National experiences; Chapter 7 German regions in the European Union, Arthur Benz; Chapter 8 Provinces versus urban centres, Theo A.J. Toonen; Chapter 9 Italy*Translation Uttam Bharthare and Claire O’Neal., Arnaldo Bagnasco, Marco Oberti; Chapter 10 Autonomous Communities and the state in Spain*Translation Uttam Bharthare and Claire O’Neal., William Genieys; Chapter 11 The French region as a space for public policy*Translation Uttam Bharthare and Claire O’Neal., Richard Balme; Chapter 12 Civic culture and institutional performance of the Belgian regions, Stefaan De Rynck; Chapter 13 Britain, John Mawson; Chapter 14 Conclusion—government and governance of regions*Translation Uttam Bharthare and Claire O’Neal, Patrick Le Galès;