The Dream of the Nation-State: Is Regional Secessionism a Threat to European Integration?

This chapter addresses the question of whether regional secessionism can be seen as a threat to European integration, with a particular focus on Scotland and Catalonia. This chapter reviews the political-science literature on regional secession and European integration and explores different ways of interpreting the effects of European integration on regional separatism. It discusses different interpretations of how the European Union (EU) law and policies can be applied and understood in the event that a region of an EU member state achieves independence through secession. It analyses current political developments (e.g. Brexit and the constitutional crisis in Catalonia) and highlights the political and normative challenges that regional secessionism poses for the EU and its member states. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how the standing of the regions within the EU could be strengthened and how demands for secession might be managed within the framework of existing member states.