Abstract
The concept of sovereignty is a highly contested one and is much debated in the wake of the social changes brought about by globalization. New connections emerge, leading to a new balance of powers between the state and the civil society. This civil society is very heterogeneous: it includes NGOs, diasporas, transnational corporations, global finance institutions, mafias, terrorists networks; i.e., any social or economic group organizing society, potentially under the control of the state but still independent from it. According to Kalevi Holsti, the notion of sovereignty refers to “a supreme authority within a defined territorial realm. It is the ultimate source of law, and it transcends any particular ruler or ruling group.” ¹ Thus, we can distinguish the internal aspect of sovereignty, linked with territories, and its external aspect which stands for the equality of the states and their constitutional independence at the international level. The new actors from the civil society are generally believed to encroach upon this state sovereignty by competing with states in their essential functions, i.e., protection and security of the citizens, decision-making and the creation of a common identity. By acting more and more at an international scale, not only does civil society supplant public administration, but it also transcends borders, making the idea of territory obsolete whereas it is traditionally a fundamental aspect of sovereignty.
