TW: I have argued for quite awhile that globalisation generally and European economic integration in particular would lead to increased regional nationalism. As European wide institutions are created such as the Euro, certain ties binding countries (e.g. common defense, economic synergies etc.) are being loosened. Those remaining cultural factors (i.e. language, religion and ethnicity) can rise to the fore.
Scotland is quietly (from an American viewpoint) but perhaps inexorably moving towards a fairly substantive independence. Will it happen who is to say? My guess is the greatest impediment will be other Europeans not wanting the Pandora's box of regionalism to be blown wide open. If it were to happen, a slew of Spaniards, Italians, Belgians and a dozen others might be right behind them.
From Greenway at Int'l Herald Tribune:
"...After centuries of fighting the English to maintain independence, the two thrones were united when James VI of Scotland became James I of England in 1603, after Elizabeth died childless. In 1707, the two countries were joined under one parliament - the one in London. For the next 300 years, Scotland helped build the British empire, contributed more soldiers per capita to Britain's wars than any other region, invented more things, and had more than its share of prime ministers.
...Ten years ago, Scotland got its own parliament back, with limited powers. Defense and diplomacy are in London's hands. The Scottish National Party won the election of 2007 by a whisker. Some thought the Scottish Nationalists' minority government would fail, but it hasn't.
...[the Scottish first minister Salmond's]plan is to get a referendum on Scottish independence before the people sometime next year. Polls don't show a majority of Scots ready for independence yet
...Salmond's independent Scotland would keep the monarchy and the English language, although efforts are being made to keep Scottish Gaelic alive.
...The SNP's nationalism is based on citizenship, rather than on ethnicity, religion, or language, and is pro-immigration; quite different from many national movements"
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/03/opinion/edgreenway.php
3 comments:
You write -
'My guess is the greatest impediment will be other Europeans not wanting the Pandora's box of regionalism to be blown wide open.'
That is a reasonable view to take especially from your side of the pond. However, in particular relation to Scotland I have to take exception to the word 'regionalism'.
I have recently written a guest post 'Understanding Scottish Independence' which can be found on the 'New England Tartan Day' blog at www.newenglandtartanday.com/. I also have my own blog 'The 'Sanitization' of Scottish History' at http://follonblogs.blogspot.com/.
Thanks but I tried to look it up and the text appears to be gone.
If you're referring to the guest post 'Understanding Scottish Independence' it may be that you don't have 'Adobe Flash Player' on your computer. I had the same problem at first.
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