Identity, territory and self-determination in transborder regions of Eastern and Central Europe

Harris, Erika ORCID: 0000-0001-9284-0215 (2019) Identity, territory and self-determination in transborder regions of Eastern and Central Europe. In: CHANGING BORDERS IN EUROPE: EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF INTEGRATION, DIFFERENTIATION AND SELF-DETERMINATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. , pp. 110-126. ISBN 978-1-138-58882-0

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Abstract

This paper focuses on transborder regions of eastern and central Europe which emerged following the dissolution of communist multinational federations of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. The establishment of new (multinational) states created territories of cultural, kin, and historical links among regional groups, as well as emerging institutional and political arrangements pertaining to these groups. The premise here is that these regions spanning one or several states are characterized by fluid borders and populations existing with multiple identities and diverse territorial allegiances. They contain a number of ethnic groups with varied legacies of statehood and/or minority status, and divergent levels of European integration. Since transborder regions have a limited capacity to address people’s interests, the contribution of this paper is in the re-examination of the concept of self-determination so that it can apply to them. The aim is to answer two interrelated questions: What kind of identity exists in transborder regions and what form of self-determination would be fitting for those regions? Discussion starts with the questioning of relevant concepts (region, ethnicity, the nation, and the state) and shows that while in practice self-determination is attached to states, it can apply to territories other than states. Drawing on various examples, the focus shifts to the historical and political context within which eastern central European transborder regions emerged and to the resulting dynamics between groups and states that encapsulate them. This analysis shows that these regions possess a certain (hybrid) identity and seek self-determination based on a more formal recognition of these territories and their peoples’ experience rather than territorial rule. It would mean that the EU should approach policies connected to citizenship legislation, visa regimes, and access to labour markets, language laws and multilingual education, etc. in view of regional dynamics across a whole transborder region, not piecemeal state by state. It is argued that a more democratically reformulated self-determination, applicable to peoples and their territories, would make transborder regions more stable, particularly in postconflict zones, and ultimately more effective partners in European integration.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	East Central Europe, transborder region, identity, self-determination
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	02 Oct 2017 08:34
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2024 09:14
DOI:	10.13140/RG.2.2.30955.64806
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3009720