In the mid 90s∗, right after the fall of the wall and a general loss of interest in the European Union, the idea of a Europe of the Regions was being pushed. The vision was to transform the EU from a organization of European nation states into a heterogeneous federation a autonomous regions. Nationalism being superseded by Regionalism under an European umbrella giving regions with a strong identity of their own independence from their respective nation states.
I also has it's weaknesses: the ‘Europe of the Regions’ project has the same dangers of underestimating the continuing economic importance of the state, overestimating the coherence of most regions, and conceding too much ground to the dominant neo-liberal ideology which would weaken the state's intervention and redistributive capabilities. Indeed, in some richer regions (for example, in northern Italy), regionalisms have been partly motivated by opposition to transfers from themselves to despised poorer regions, and nationalism has no monopoly on supremacist racist attitudes. Contrary to the benign vision, some regionalisms can be very parochial, even xenophobic, as well as progressive – they are not inherently either one or the other. [1]
In contrast to that the current political climate seems to like to challenge the very idea of a unified Europe; the future is very unclear in every aspect.
I also has it's weaknesses: the ‘Europe of the Regions’ project has the same dangers of underestimating the continuing economic importance of the state, overestimating the coherence of most regions, and conceding too much ground to the dominant neo-liberal ideology which would weaken the state's intervention and redistributive capabilities. Indeed, in some richer regions (for example, in northern Italy), regionalisms have been partly motivated by opposition to transfers from themselves to despised poorer regions, and nationalism has no monopoly on supremacist racist attitudes. Contrary to the benign vision, some regionalisms can be very parochial, even xenophobic, as well as progressive – they are not inherently either one or the other. [1]
In contrast to that the current political climate seems to like to challenge the very idea of a unified Europe; the future is very unclear in every aspect.
∗The Committee of the Regions just turns 20 this year http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_the_Regions
Here is is map of western European regions with seperatist movements from the 70s: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/society/politics-policy-people...
[1] http://www.open.edu/openlearn/society/politics-policy-people...