Regional empowerment, secessionism and European integration: the cases of Catalonia and Scotland
Date
2018
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
One of the main challenges facing multicultural states in today's globalised world is
accommodating the various diverse groups living within them. Especially complex are
the claims of minority sub-state nations, which demand greater autonomy and in
extreme cases want to separate. Recently several regionalist or nationalist movements
have become more assertive, and there has emerged a new dimension to the matter – the
movements envision independence within the European Union (EU). If a constituent
region of an EU member state were to become independent, it would set a precedent.
Thus, the aim of this thesis is to analyse the relationship between European integration
and secessionism in multicultural states. Building on theoretical insights from multilevel
governance, new regionalism and rational choice institutionalism, the thesis
analyses the international environment created by European integration, the political
and economic empowerment of regions in the EU since the Single European Act, as
well as the mobilisation of subnational actors, which pursue their regional interests and
demand more powers (including independence). The study is conducted using two
cases, Catalonia and Scotland, and finds that they have rationally responded to their
changed opportunity structures. Thus, the main result of the analysis is that European
integration has strengthened secessionism in multinational states with sizeable
geographically concentrated indigenous minority groups, by creating a favourable
international environment for small states, and strengthening regions and subnational
actors economically and politically.