Prof. Dr. Diana Panke, Lukas Grundsfeld, and Pawel Tverskoi have published a new book on RIOs and how they deal with contestations from within. They show that RIOs are not only exposed to external challenges but also face internal contestations by their own member states. The book examines exit threats as a specific and particularly consequential form of contestation, as they not only make internal disagreements publicly visible but also have the potential to cause substantial harm to the organization.

The book presents the first systematic study of the prevalence of exit threats between and within RIOs. It also considers why some states engage in exit threats more frequently than others and why some RIOs receive such threats more often than others. At the center of the analysis lies the following research question:

Why does the prevalence of exit threats differ between and within RIOs?

The authors develop three core arguments: First, they argue that dissatisfaction among member states does not automatically lead to exit threats. Specific and diffuse support can alleviate dissatisfaction and prevent potential threats of withdrawal. Second, the book shows that threats of withdrawal occur more frequently when member states have fewer opportunities to influence the processes of a RIO. Thirdly, it is argued that both specific and diffuse support play an essential role and can deter a state from threatening to leave. Yet, both forms of support cannot prevent individual instances of discontent from occurring as even powerful and ideologically similar states might sometimes fail to get what they want in a RIO.

The book draws on an analysis of 123 exit threats between 1945 and 2022 and thus makes a valuable contribution to the extensive and growing body of comparative research on IOs as well as comparative regionalism. It forms part of the research project Should I stay or should I go? State Exits from Regional Organizations funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).