Is international democracy possible?

The process of globalization seems to undermine the nation-state as well as liberal democracy. In consequence, the need to establish democratic struct ures on an international level is widely postulated. The argument presented here is that discussions on the alleged loss of the nation-state's soverei gnty are characterized by several theoretical deficiencies. First, they emp loy a limited concept/definition of the state; then they are based on a lim ited understanding of the relations of capitalist globalization and politic al regulation; above all, they use a concept of democracy that is rather fo reshortened and instrumentalizing. However, in order to gain sufficient und erstanding of the chances for international democracy and of the role of NG Os within the framework of an 'international civil society', it is necessar y to recognize the fact that the nation-state continues to be a preconditio n of globalization, though with a modified role. That is, the 'antagonism o f the bourgeois constitution' (Marx) is renewing itself in a different mode .