Regional movements for autonomy or independence are gaining strength around the world, but so far it is precisely the "ghost of separatism" that soars over Europe. Serious geopolitical defeats are not far off, which will significantly change the map of the Old World. Similar shocks and redrawings of borders over the past one and a half centuries have occurred every two or three generations. In confirmation of this, there are dry numbers: on the eve of World War I, there were 59 states in the world, by the middle of the twentieth century their number had increased to 89, and by 1995 - to 192.
The question of the future redrawing of borders is quite planned. Politicians and diplomats are so fond of talking about stability and the inviolability of the world order that one forcibly recalls Hitler’s “millennial Reich” (as the most vivid and well-known example), which was very far from the indicated deadline, and the Soviet Communists sincerely believed that their system represents the final stage in the development of human history; it was briefly survived. It's time to deal with the history of separatism in Europe and modern centers of resistance.
The formation of nation states
Separatism in Europe is a phenomenon of the New Age, the result of the process of regionalization, the struggle for national sovereignty and the consolidation of nations. The ground for the emergence of foci of separatism began to be prepared since the nation states gained sovereignty, and all territorial decisions in Europe were reinforced by the emergence of new countries. The absolute monarchy has weakened, the process of democratization of society and the formation of presidential-parliamentary systems has begun.
A vivid example of the non-European separatism of those years - the beacon of Western democracy - the United States of America. The appearance of this country on the map was the direct result of a bloody war of the North American separatists who did not want to live under the British crown. True, in America itself the situation was not unambiguous: a civil war of 61-65 years of the nineteenth century erupted between the slave-owning South and the industrial North.
The period between the first and second world wars
A more interesting step for considering European separatism is the period between the largest world wars of the twentieth century. This stage of historical development is characterized by an active anticolonial movement and the formation of new countries. These processes affected both third world countries and specific regions of Europe.
Interestingly, the leaders of the anti-colonial movements at that time did not set themselves the goal of forming a separate state on an ethnic basis, but the impetus given by these movements led precisely to the expressed desire to create ethnic statehood. There was an idea to make the subject of state self-determination an ethnic group that exercises its rights in historical territory. The expression of this aspiration later became ethnic separatism in the Balkan region in the sixties and eighties of the last century.
The post-war stage of the history of separatism
It was after World War II that Israel appeared when the partition of Palestine took place. The situation is standard: Jewish separatists argued the desire to gain sovereignty with the right of “land and blood”, and the Palestinians put up stiff opposition to preserve the territorial integrity of the state.
The British Isles were also turbulent - the Irish Republican Army spent the last century sabotaging against London. The British authorities considered and still consider the organization to be terrorist, but for the residents of Belfast they are courageous rebels who fight for independence.
There are examples of post-war separatism when there was a peaceful separation of territories, but they are not numerous. The current German state of Saarland, after World War II, was under the protectorate of France. In 1957, after the protests of the local population and the referendum, this area became part of Germany. All twelve post-war years, France restricted the use of the German language, pursued a frankly pro-French policy and prevented the preservation of local identity. After the will of the people, the Saarians reunited with those who spoke the same language with them, with those with whom they lived side by side for the past several centuries.
At the same time, several ethnic conflicts arose in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The conflict in Kosovo is still in a "frozen" state, and the situation in Bosnia 1992-1995 ended with the creation of a new independent state - Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The separatists in the post-Soviet space should include the first presidents of independent Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and a dozen more states. It was they who, after very controversial legal manipulations, abolished the country, the political system of which was supposed to represent the last stage in the development of human history. Is this not separatism? After Belovezhskaya Pushcha, these people led the states that arose as a result of direct conspiracy.
Conflicting causes of separatism
The main reason for the activation of separatist sentiments in Europe was the desire for unity. If we continue to force Catalonia and the Basque Country to remain part of Spain, Fall and Veneto in Italy, and Scotland in Great Britain, there will be no peace. Discontent and aggression will only increase, which in the end can lead to even more sad consequences. Here comes the next reason for separatism in Europe, namely the crisis of government legitimacy. There is a growing notion that all existing problems cannot be solved simply by a change of government, more drastic measures and constitutional changes are needed.
Another reason for separatism in Europe is the loss of meaning of the model of a large centralized state. After the Second World War, mankind entered a long peaceful phase of its history. For centuries, the expansion of the country's territory meant an increase in power through new resources, increased the ability to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. Now, due to the absence of external threats, the importance of the territorial factor and the amount of resources is decreasing.
Today's state is no longer a guarantee of security (especially with the intensification of international terrorism), but a guarantee of economic prosperity. Veneto, Catalonia and Scotland - the three provinces that today are fighting for independence, are united by the fact that they are the richest and most developed regions of their countries, none of them want to share their income with the poorer southern territories. So any model of government that contains the prerequisites for a slowdown in wealth growth will today be recognized as illegitimate.
The fundamental cause of the crisis of government legitimacy, and hence separatism in Europe, is associated with disappointment in existing political institutions. In recent years, there has been a catastrophic decline in confidence in governments and parliaments. So there appeared “frustrated democrats” - citizens who support the democratic regime in principle, but are dissatisfied with the concrete work of its representatives and institutions.
So, the basis of separatism in European countries is not at all nationalism, as is commonly believed, but real pragmatism and the desire to ensure maximum economic well-being.
Modern hotbeds of resistance in Europe
Experts estimate that in the Old World in the twenty-first century more than ten new states could theoretically arise. The centers of separatism in modern Europe are presented on the map below.
The most traditional example is the Basque Country, the most resonant today is Catalonia. These are two regions of Spain that, despite autonomy, require more. The new autonomous status in 2007 was adopted by another Spanish province - Valencia. The “headache” of France is Corsica and the province of Brittany, in Italy separatist sentiments are raging in the northern regions, and Belgium may well be divided into the Flemish northern and Walloon southern parts.
And this speech did not go about other centers of separatism and the self-proclaimed territories in Europe. There are also the Faroe Islands in Denmark, British Scotland, the canton of Jura in quiet Switzerland, the Romanian Transylvania and so on. Separatism in Europe cannot be briefly described - each case has its own story. Read more about some regions that seek independence, further.
Catalonia seeks independence
Separatism in Europe in the 21st century was again discussed before the Catalan referendum on independence. An autonomous province in the north-east of Spain, which has its own national language and distinctive culture, sharply contrasts itself with other regions of the country. In 2005, the Catalans even became a separate nation, recognized by the central government in Madrid. But in the region, there are still parties and organizations (mostly left-wing) that advocate for the province to withdraw from Spain.
Catalonia nevertheless declared independence. This fateful decision was made after the referendum. On October 27, 2017, Catalonia began to take off Spanish flags, while the Spanish government at an emergency meeting took autonomy from the region. The situation is developing rapidly, but it is not yet clear what will happen next. The main fears about the referendum in Catalonia are related to the fact that Europeans are afraid of a “chain reaction”, because in many countries of the Old World there are potentially “explosive” regions.
Basque country in the struggle for sovereignty
No less risk to the territorial integrity of Spain is the Basque Country. As in Catalonia, there is a rather high standard of living and strong anti-Spanish sentiment - the region has historically gravitated towards France. The three provinces that make up the Basque Country have far broader rights in monarchical Spain compared to other regions, and the Basque language has the status of the state.
The reason for the activation of this hotbed of separatism in Europe was the policy of Francisco Franco. Then the Basques were forbidden to publish books and newspapers, to teach in the Basque language, to hang out the national flag. The ETA organization (translated - “Basque Country and Freedom”), created in 1959, initially set as its goal the fight against Francoism. The group at different stages did not disdain terrorist methods and enjoyed the support of the Soviet Union. Franco has long been dead, the Basque Country gained autonomy, but separatism in Western Europe does not stop.
Separators of the Misty Albion
The recent referendum in Catalonia was also supported by Scotland - another hotbed of separatism in Europe. In 2014, more than half of the local residents (55%) spoke out against disconnection, but the processes of national isolation continue. In the UK, there is another region that discusses the topic of the secession referendum. An active separatist movement in Europe, namely in Northern Ireland, may intensify after the announcement of London's intentions to withdraw from the EU. The situation is developing slowly but decisively.
Flanders does not want to “feed” Belgium
Conflicts between the two main communities began immediately after Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands in 1830. The inhabitants of Flanders do not speak French, Wallonia - in Flemish, and they had to unite only under the pressure of circumstances. So Belgium in itself is not quite a natural state entity.
Recently, calls for separation have been heard more and more often in the country: more economically prosperous Flanders does not want to “feed” Wallonia. Initially, Flanders was a backward peasant region that survived on subsidies from Wallonia, where industry was actively developing. When the industrial revolution thundered in the French-speaking region in the nineteenth century, the “Dutch” countryside was only an agricultural appendage. The situation changed after the sixties of the last century. Now in the role of a weak region was Wallonia.
Today, Brussels remains the most difficult problem. There are Flemish and Walloon districts in the city, which makes managing the capital quite difficult.
If the country nevertheless breaks up, it can be expected that Flanders will remain an independent state entity. The region is self-sufficient, it is there that separatist sentiments are strong. In Wallonia, there was never a pronounced nationalism, so it is likely that in the event of separation, she will join some country, most likely France.
Turbulence Zones in Italy
About 80% of the population of the province of Veneto supports the idea of separation from Spain. If this happens, we can expect the revival of the strongest Venetian republic, which ceased to exist after the conquests of Napoleon in the late eighteenth century. Until recently, northern Falls also wanted to leave Rome. The League of the North is behind this initiative, which is now insisting on transforming the state into a federation.
Ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania
Separatism in Europe extends to the east. Romanian Transylvania previously belonged to the Hungarians, before that - the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Most Romanian Hungarians live in this territory. In 2007, the local Hungarians called for autonomy from the capital and independent relations with the Hungarian Budapest. Transylvania says louder and louder that "the time has come for Hungarian autonomy."
The problem of separatism in Europe is now more acute than ever. The authorities are trying to slow down these processes, but it is not known how successfully such a policy will be pursued further, because separatist sentiments are growing. With the independence of the first region, others will feel confidence. So, in the twentieth century, you can expect the appearance of many small European states on the political map of the world. It is possible that such entities would be more willing to unite in blocks that would not endanger their sovereignty.