Federalism and the creation of new states : justifying internal secession

Abstract

This thesis addresses the creation of new states within federal arrangements – particularly federations - and their justification in liberal democratic contexts. It is presented as a set of three cumulative articles. The first article argues that existing liberal approaches to justifying secession have important shortcomings if they are to provide moral guidance to when internal secession is justified. In order to address this shortfall, the second article examines the process followed in three existing cases (the creation of Jura in Switzerland, Nunavut in Canada and Jharkhand in India) and how they were justified. Based on the process identified, the third article develops a procedural account of the grounds that may justify internal secessions. Overall the thesis argues that internal secessions should be negotiated between the secessionists, the existing unit they belong to, and the federation as a whole, delimited by the specific federal context in which they take place.

La present tesi doctoral tracta la creació de nous estats en el marc de les federacions i la seva justificació en contextos de democràcies liberals. Es presenta com un conjunt de tres articles cumulatius. El primer argumenta que les teories liberals sobre la secessió presenten mancances com a guia moral quan una secessió interna és justificable. Per abordar dites mancances, el segon article examina el procés que s’ha seguit en tres casos (la creació de Jura, Suissa; Nunavut, Canada i Jharkhand, India) i les justificacions que s'hi van donar. A partir d’aquests casos, el tercer article desenvolupa una teoria normativa procedimental que considera quins són els fonaments que justifiquen les secessions internes. En conjunt, la tesi defensa que les secessions internes s’haurien de negociar entre la part seccionista, la unitat existent a la qual pertanyen, i la federació; tenint en compte el context federal específic en el qual te lloc.