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Could Mergers and Acquisitions Among Countries Become a Reality?
And, the world comes together…
Recently, a provocative comment attributed to Donald Trump suggesting Canada join the United States as its 51st state sparked curiosity and debate. While the statement may have been made in jest, it opens up an intriguing conversation: Could the principles of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), which dominate the business world, be applied to states, countries, or even entire regions? And if so, what would the implications be? Let’s dive deeper.
The Business Lens: Mergers and Acquisitions 101
In the business world, mergers and acquisitions happen when companies join forces (merger), or one absorbs another (acquisition) to gain a competitive advantage, increase market share, or achieve economies of scale. At its core, M&A is about creating synergies -where the combined entity is greater than the sum of its parts.
We begin to see fascinating parallels if we overlay this concept onto countries and geographies. Could nations consolidate to achieve greater economic, geopolitical, or social advantages? Historically, such consolidations have happened, though under different names.