INTERNATIONAL
VANDERBILT POLITICAL REVIEW
A House Divided
F
Exploring the implications of modern separatist movements
rom the United States to South
Sudan, national independence
movements have long emerged
from beneath the shadow of oppressive,
authoritarian governments. But now, a
new crop of national separatist movements is forming in many of the world’s
strongest democracies. Sub-regions are
now seeking to secede from their mother
countries not due to political grievance
or a violation of fundamental democratic principles, but rather, for cultural and
economic reasons. Although this fracturing may have some benefits, separatism
ultimately creates a dangerous precedent,
as it undermines supranational and regional organizations, hinders international cooperation, and leads to economic
polarization.
Sub-regions of world nations desire
secession for a wide variety of reasons.
Scotland plans to hold a referendum on its
independence from the United Kingdom
on September 18, 2014. In Quebec, which
had a referendum fail by one percentage
point in 1995, support for independence
is at forty percent. Both of these separatist movements are propelled by a sentiment of distinct cultural and ideological
identity, and thus, the notion that the national government fails to represent their
interests. Quebec has strong French roots,
with over eighty percent of its residents
speaking French as a first language, compared to only twenty three percent of the
overall Canadian population. The Parti
Quebecois is also militantly secular, like
France, opposing religious signs or garb
in hospitals, schools, and government offices. Meanwhile, in Catalonia and north-
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by ALAK MEHTA ‘16
ern Italy, separatist movements are based
on a predominantly economic rationale.
Secessionists claim that their respective
regions bear an unfair burden in propping
up national economies, and thus seek to
exert greater control over their own economy and social services. In Catalonia,
secessionist rhetoric is based on both a
perceived economic burden (especially in
the context of Spain’s current recession)
as well as a unique culture and regional
language, Catalan. In September, over a
million Catalans formed a 250-mile chain
to urge the Spanish government to allow
a referendum on the issue, a request that
was promptly rejected by Spanish Prime
Minister Mariano Rajoy. In nort ????%????????????????1????9???????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????A???????????????????)???????????????????5?????????????)????Y????????????????????????????????????????%???????????????????????????]????????????????M???????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)?????????T?8???????T??Q?????????)
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