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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].

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Is it customary to hold off recognition of a state that seceded from another country through a referendum?

WASHINGTON -- Even if Quebec voters had said "Oui" to independence in 1995, the United States wasn't going to say "Yes" to immediately recognizing the new country or including it ...
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1 vote
0 answers
69 views

Have other countries said what they'd do if Ethiopia recognizes Somaliland's indepedence?

Reuters: Feb 23, 2024 Landlocked Ethiopia agreed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 1 to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline in Somaliland - a territory that Somalia says it owns, even though the ...
Make StackExchange GREAT 4ever's user avatar
-5 votes
2 answers
216 views

Texas seceding from the US? [closed]

With the border crisis in Texas and the backup from many states (mostly in the South), how likely is a secession of state(s), and which ones are most likely to secede? (if any). How similar is the ...
Root Groves's user avatar
-6 votes
4 answers
355 views

Was 1992 Bosnian Independence referendum a sham voting, in light of 99.7% of votes "For"? [closed]

One thing that caught my eye in the referendum results cited in Wikipedia seemed improbably high at 92.7% for the independence. The turnout to the referendums was reported as 63.7%, with 92.7% of ...
alamar's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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Who is judging Bosnian Serb leader Dodik?

BBC: Mr Dodik, who is president of Bosnia-Herzegovina's majority-Serb area, rejects Christian Schmidt's authority. He has repeatedly threatened to secede. Under the US-brokered Dayton deal that ended ...
Make StackExchange GREAT 4ever's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
732 views

Did some UNGA resolutions recognize Crimea as independent or part of Russia? Or Kosovo as part of Serbia, to this day?

Russia has accused "the West" of double standards with respect to secession/self-determination e.g. in 2018 Lavrov said: "Despite numerous resolutions adopted by the UN General ...
Make StackExchange GREAT 4ever's user avatar
13 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 ...
user366312's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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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 ...
Mark Morales II's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
284 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 ...
very big cat's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
319 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 ...
bandybabboon's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
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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 ...
dotancohen's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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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, ...
Mindwin Remember Monica's user avatar
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 ...
Michael Macha's user avatar
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 ...
The Grumbleputty's user avatar
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 ...
aca's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
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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 ...
amphibient's user avatar
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12 votes
4 answers
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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 ...
vsz's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
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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 ...
Schwarz Kugelblitz's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
782 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, ...
Morisco's user avatar
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15 votes
3 answers
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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 ...
isakbob's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
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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? ...
bobuhito's user avatar
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17 votes
1 answer
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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 ...
Scotland Forever's user avatar
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?
Mocas's user avatar
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12 votes
1 answer
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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 ...
Mocas's user avatar
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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 ...
user avatar
29 votes
3 answers
8k 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 ...
Sergey Zolotarev's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
353 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 ...
gingerbreadboy's user avatar
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 ...
user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
194 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 ...
Pablo's user avatar
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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 ...
Gary 2's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
456 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
Gary 2's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
4k 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 ...
Erel Segal-Halevi's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
441 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's user avatar
  • 108k
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 ...
Mocas's user avatar
  • 7,513
4 votes
2 answers
652 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 ...
hpotamus's user avatar
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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's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
3k 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 (...
holaymolay's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
478 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 ...
Jontia's user avatar
  • 25k
4 votes
1 answer
416 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% ...
gerrit's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
389 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, ...
Neil Tarrant's user avatar
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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 ...
Algy Taylor's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
626 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 ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
125 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 ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
424 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 ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
4k 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 ...
Robert Tausig's user avatar
-6 votes
2 answers
848 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 ...
guest271314's user avatar
  • 2,566
7 votes
1 answer
461 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 ...
WoJ's user avatar
  • 3,470
8 votes
2 answers
385 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 ...
blud's user avatar
  • 1,601
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 ...
Peter Olson's user avatar
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 '...
Ludwig Wittgenstein's user avatar