Analyse the Reasons for Separatism Within And/or Across National Boundaries and Discuss Its Consequences

Analyse the reasons for separatism within and/or across national boundaries and discuss its consequences.

A separatist movement refers to the activity of any minority group or region within or across a country’s borders towards greater independence from central governments over the regions they inhabit. While the common aim of separatism is to gain full political secession, several separatist activities only desire greater autonomy. It is equally important to note that while contrasting views regarding separatist movements within a country may lead to violent activity, as exemplified by the loss of life from the split of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, it is possible for separatist discussion to take place without the necessity for violence, such as the proposal of the Scottish National Party in the referendum of September 2014.

A common motivation for the presence of separatism within national boundaries is the belief that great variation exists between the dominant culture, race, language or religion of one region and another. In Spain, the region of Catalonia in the far north-east of the country has seen the development of the Catalan independence movement over the previous two centuries, due to an increasing public perception that the region’s use of the Catalan language and differences in cultural traditions are not recognised by the country’s national government. Despite the clear majority of citizens of the region voting for independence in various referenda, particularly over the past 40 years since the death of Franco (the current figure is estimated at approximately 57%), Spanish central government in Madrid have been reluctant to legally pass legislation permitting the independence of Catalonia. This has led to an increased number of largely peaceful protests within the region, such as those in September 2012 and 2013, as well as greater numbers of citizens who openly identify themselves as supporters of independence. It is hoped that the success of this separatist movement will establish and maintain a society with a clear and distinct cultural identity that is different to the country of Spain.

The collapse or weakening of the central state and its overall political power can also be a contributing factor to an increase in separatist activity. The greatest example of this in recent years is the collapse of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, the product of which has been a split into seven separate, independent countries: Slovenia, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The reduction of Communist power in Yugoslavia presented by the death of Tito in 1980 fuelled ethnic tensions and rivalries between the existing states, and the additional attraction of economic stability provided by independent membership of the EU and other international trading blocs saw the gradual breakdown of the state. In contrast to the ongoing separatist movements in Spain, the collapse of Yugoslavia was not a peaceful process, and the social impacts brought about by violence were devastating to the regions; in Bosnia alone it has been estimated over 100,000 people died as a result of the desire to ethnically cleanse its varied population. The violence and civil disobedience exemplified by the separation of the Balkan states are common consequences of separatism, since the lack of overall guidance by a central government can lead to political and social instability within the region.