Democracy and Borders: Secessionism in European Plurinational States. The Catalan Case

In its first chapter, the paper demonstrates the new salience of independence in Europe, and why Catalonia might be a special case. In its second chapter, we debate the relation between democracy and secession. We establish the limits of primary right theories in regards to the Catalan case, and ask for the relevant demos and whether we deal with a question of “demos” or “nation”. We also ask for the limits of remedial right theories, and whether new “just cause” arguments could be brought forward. Finally, we argue a limited liberal-democratic legitimacy of unilateral secession. The third chapter asks whether independence in Europe can be seen as an “internal enlargement” in a federal system,. And whether such considerations can be extended to Catalonia and Europe. At the end, we will revisit the view of Europe as an external support system for nationalism and independentism, and understand the Catalan case as a challenge to defining the character of the EU (federal, confederal, net, neomedieval etc.).