Questions tagged [secession]
Questions about the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity. Use with a country or other tag to identify the entity. For question about "local independence" use [local-autonomy], instead. When referring to a civil war, use also the tag: [armed-conflict].
96
questions
14
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Is there any way for a country to get separated peacefully? [duplicate]
India has separatist movements in twenty two states. Most of them are militants. However, two of them stand out in the sense that their effort is nonviolent. One of them is Khalistan Movement, and the ...
1
vote
1
answer
323
views
What did Chief Justice Chase mean by "consent of the States" in Texas v. White (1869)?
In the 1869 case of Texas v. White, the US Supreme Court ruled that states did not have the constitutional right to unilaterally secede from the Union. Writing for the majority opinion, Chief Justice ...
- 113
-3
votes
1
answer
256
views
Why is Catalonia not a free country? [closed]
It's non-controversial that Russia should not attack Ukraine. Holding it hostage is imperialistic, and clearly illegal, so that even UN admits Russia is criminal now.
However, Catalonia also has good ...
- 503
1
vote
2
answers
311
views
Why have European regions with strong desires for independence not been allowed to have either local parliaments or referendums? [closed]
Is it the fault of the government's progressiveness that regions with strong desires for independence and self-rule, such as Corsica, the Basque region, Catalonia, Bavaria, Moravia, and Sicily, have ...
- 2,586
4
votes
0
answers
157
views
Support for secession by the international community in the 21st century
I am looking for examples of both successful and unsuccessful national secession attempts in the 21st century in order to determine in which contexts the international community has supported or ...
- 1,233
3
votes
1
answer
133
views
Is there any theory regarding a colony's natural evolution into independence?
From a layman's perspective, it seems that the fate of most colonies is to evolve into an independent nation. At least those colonies that are, at a particular point in human technological evolution, ...
10
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Can a US state opt to become a territory without leaving the nation as a whole?
This relates to an item legislated by the Texas republican party recently. Overlooking the more regressive and dangerous items, and the frivolous and inconsequential items, they are also throwing the ...
- 272
10
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Are there any regions in the Russian Federation with active independence movements?
I'm curious if there are any active separatist movements in the Russian Federation. By "active", I mean politically organized, funded and regionally supported to the extent that they could ...
- 211
6
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What does Kosovo need to do in order to become a fully independent country?
What are the steps that Kosovo, or, if it's not about them, other countries must do, so it can be recognized as an independent country?
In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from ...
- 597
3
votes
0
answers
51
views
Why don't Donetsk and Luhansk unite? [duplicate]
Considering they are both populated by ethnic Russians and have a common enemy, why don't Donetsk and Luhansk unite in a single political entity (state)? What are the distinctions between their ...
- 1,559
11
votes
4
answers
661
views
What determines whether Western countries (and NATO) recognize separatist movements? (especially when comparing Kosovo and the Donbass)
Consider the following scenario:
there is a region in a country inhabited primarily by a different ethnic group than the majority of the rest of the country, and has been living there and composing ...
- 2,379
8
votes
1
answer
986
views
Do the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk have the right to declare independence from Ukraine under the Minsk Agreements?
Recently the DPR and the LPR declared their independence which Russia recognized. This declaration and subsequent recognition are not seen as legitimate by the international community. Is there a ...
- 4,401
10
votes
3
answers
696
views
Legal basis for self-determination vs. territorial integrity
There are many examples where self-determination means secession of a territory from a state, typically opposed by the latter. The most obvious recent example are the eastern regions of the Ukraine, ...
- 10.5k
15
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Why did the LPR and DPR in Donbas not form one People's Republic?
Right now, in the Donbas region of Ukraine, there are two quasi-states — the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). They emerged due to the events of the War in ...
- 5,380
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Can a region of Ukraine secede or become part of another country lawfully?
If the population within a region of Ukraine wanted to become a
part of Russia (suppose a fair vote was 75% in favor), is there a
peaceful legal/government procedure in Ukraine to make this happen?
...
- 525
17
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Can Scotland hold an informal independence opinion-poll without Westminster's consent?
Yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon said that she would hold an independence referendum before 2023.
Our democratic mandate to allow people to decide the country's future is beyond question. And at this ...
- 173
6
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is it legal to campaign for county independence in England?
Would campaigning for a county independence in England be considered a crime? Or is it totally legal?
- 4,310
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Can a UK county gain independence?
What is the law/rules around if a county (let's say Northumberland) wants to gain independence, whether to join another country (let's say/assume future independent Scotland) or to join the EU as an ...
- 4,310
21
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Why do some countries allow their states to secede through legal means?
Article IV, Section 3 of the United States Constitution states that states cannot secede from the U.S. through legal means.
However, some other countries allow legal secession. Why do some countries ...
- 26.7k
29
votes
3
answers
7k
views
What's the difference between declaring sovereignty and declaring independence?
What's the difference between declaring sovereignty and declaring independence? Aren't those the same thing? Please help me make sense of the following sentence (but keep in mind that my question is ...
- 4,183
5
votes
1
answer
350
views
How many pro independence Scottish voters are pro EU membership
It seems (to me, from a distance) that the SNP argument for a Scottish independence push is predicated on the idea that an independent Scotland will join the EU. Is there any good quality data ...
- 719
27
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Explain for kids — Why isn't Northern Ireland demanding a stay/leave referendum like Scotland?
https://politics.stackexchange.com/a/34470 is too abstruse — the history and religion conflicts are too complicated. I'm seeking answers written for a 10 y.o.
Every week, I see a new article on the ...
user35218
7
votes
2
answers
187
views
Which country is responsable for the external debt if half of the states of a country become independent? [duplicate]
After the lawsuit of 18 states joining Texas against some Democratic states (plus 2 counties from California/Nevada which want to become new states), and after that seeing some Texan republicans ...
- 1,941
22
votes
7
answers
7k
views
Would the rest of the UK lose anything more than honor if Scotland exits the UK?
The nations of the UK are independent nations that share resources with each other, and sometimes a feeling of oneness and fraternity is seen among the good people of that land. Emotions are ...
- 2,343
2
votes
1
answer
452
views
Why is a second Scottish referendum proposed?
Majority of the people voted to stay together in the 2014 referendum. Why is a second referendum proposed? Does it have something to do with Brexit?
Thanks
- 2,343
8
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Why do the Palestinians in Gaza not declare an independent state?
The Palestinians want an independent state over the entire land of Israel, but cannot have it, as most of it is controlled by Israel. However, the Gaza strip has been abandoned by Israel over 15 years ...
- 2,791
2
votes
1
answer
371
views
Why does Montenegro recognise Kosovo, yet Bosnia does not?
As far as I understand it, Bosnia & Herzegovina does not recognise Kosovo & its unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 because of pressure from the sizeable Serbian ...
CDJB♦
- 101k
43
votes
8
answers
13k
views
What can Scotland legally do to get independence?
All conservatives members so far confirmed that it is an absolute No to second Scotland referendum.
As per that, assuming that no approval is given for a second referendum in the coming months, is ...
- 4,310
4
votes
2
answers
636
views
Why does SNP support in Scotland seem disproportionate with actual support for independence?
In the recent 2019 UK election the Scottish National Party(SNP), an explicitly pro independence party, increased their share of seats up to 48 out of 55, a commanding majority.
However, recent ...
- 141
35
votes
7
answers
8k
views
Do any countries have a procedure that allows a constituent part of that country to become independent unilaterally?
In the last few years, there have been a few attempts made by such territories to achieve independence. Particularly in Europe, we had the cases of Scotland and Catalonia.
In the case of Scotland, ...
CDJB♦
- 101k
7
votes
4
answers
2k
views
If Taiwan declares independence, would that mean they are relinquishing their claim over mainland China?
Preface
Ever since the communist revolution in China, Taiwan aka the Republic Of China (ROC) has maintained that they are the rightful government of mainland China. The People's Republic of China (...
- 728
5
votes
2
answers
463
views
United Nations : Right to Self Determination and Secession working groups?
Article 1, paragraph 2 of the United Nations charter allows for the right of self-determination.
To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights ...
- 23.7k
4
votes
1
answer
388
views
What would it take for South Tyrol to declare independence?
Wikipedia notes that in South Tyrol:
Polls held by the Austrian research institute Karmasin show that 54% of German or Ladin-speaking South Tyroleans would support secession from Italy, while 46% ...
- 47.4k
6
votes
2
answers
378
views
Secessionist / Regionalist political parties in Germany
In the UK, there are parties represented in regional and the national parliament calling for either the secession of, or at least greater autonomy for their nations from the UK (e.g. SNP, Plaid Cymru, ...
- 1,498
14
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Independent, post-Brexit Scotland - would there be a hard border with England? [closed]
Suppose Brexit happens, and the UK leaves the EU without a customs union. Scotland then has a 2nd independence referendum on the basis that they voted heavily to stay within the EU, and Scotland ends ...
- 396
5
votes
1
answer
618
views
Why isn't Northern Ireland demanding a referendum on joining Ireland, similar to the one in Scotland? [duplicate]
Northern Ireland looks like it's in a perfect position for a referendum on leaving the UK: it could instantly join its neighbor Ireland and remain a part of the EU, it has a long history of protesting ...
- 51.4k
2
votes
0
answers
110
views
What approaches are advocated for a greater Mongolia given that ethnic Mongols might be a minority?
I've heard about pan-Mongolism from time to time, such as this facebook post from Mongolia Live, and there's a Wikipedia article on it.
Assuming that Russia and China were willing to give up that ...
- 13.4k
1
vote
1
answer
377
views
Why is the separation of Kosovo from Serbia treated differently from the breakup of other Yugoslav nations from Belgrade?
When Yugoslavia began to split up, it didn't take more than a couple of years for the international community to recognize the splinter states as sovereign nations. If I understand correctly, this ...
- 51.4k
4
votes
0
answers
3k
views
Why doesn't the USA split into "Divided States of America" to achieve political autonomy? [closed]
While the disagreements between political parties have naturally always been present in the USA, their differences were historically nuanced, and Representatives of both parties regularly found common ...
- 874
-7
votes
2
answers
824
views
What are the objective minimum prerequisites for people of African descent in the Americas to form of an independent modern sovereign nation-state? [duplicate]
There are several questions and answers at Politics SE which address parts of the premise of this question, including
What are the steps to become an independent country once independence has been ...
6
votes
1
answer
450
views
Can tiny territories expect to survive upon independence?
There are several French territories which request1 independence: Corsica, New Caledonia, Guiana (among others).
Putting aside the actual backing of the majority of local population (which these ...
- 2,336
8
votes
2
answers
375
views
Does the increased localization of government control provide a solution to the stalemate caused by two party politics?
I was considering posting this in the Philosophy S.E., to ask if this was an example of The Middle Ground Fallacy, but then realized that my context is entirely political.
Much of federal politics in ...
- 1,583
20
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Why doesn't Russia recognize Kosovo if it uses the Kosovo precedent to justify annexing Crimea?
The Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Crimea written in 2014 explicitly mentions Kosovo as a precedent for unilateral declarations of independence. This declaration of independence was ...
- 419
8
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Does federalism lead to the separation of single states?
Federalism involves a great deal of power sharing, both at administrative and governmental levels. Federalism accepts the concept called 'right to self determination' to varying degrees, including '...
3
votes
0
answers
243
views
What is Belgium's position on Catalonia declaration of independence?
According to this article:
Belgium’s prime minister, Charles Michel, was among the few national leaders to denounce the violence, which the Catalan
government said had left 465 people injured as ...
- 52.5k
6
votes
1
answer
531
views
What disadvantages are there for a region in declaring independence, if that declaration is not widely recognised
Today Catalonia declared independence from Spain.
The European Union and the United States have stated they will only deal with Spain, meaning they do not recognize Catalonia as a country.
Which ...
- 1,941
2
votes
1
answer
231
views
Why is there a problem in Spain in the first place? [duplicate]
As far as I understand (source: discussions with Spaniards) there is no provision in Spain's law (including the constitution) for the declaration of independence of a province.
Why therefore is there ...
- 2,336
11
votes
6
answers
4k
views
What other European countries are experiencing independence movements?
UK, Spain, and now Italy have regions that have held referendums on independence or autonomy after the leaders of Italy's two wealthiest northern regions have claimed victory in a non-binding ...
- 6,201
2
votes
5
answers
955
views
Can catalans lose EU/Spanish citizenship if Catalonia is independence? [closed]
I was reading the answers of What's will be like a viable and legal roadmap to Catalonian independence? and one of them says:
-If the vote to leave is over 50%, then the process for creating a ...
- 570
18
votes
5
answers
7k
views
What are the steps to become an independent country once independence has been declared?
In How to Become a Country in 3 Easy Steps they mention:
Step 1 Declare independence
Step 2 Gain recognition
Step 3 Join the United Nations
Foreign Policy has a similar article How to Start Your Own ...
- 1,806