The Role of States with Limited Recognition in Contemporary Europe

Abstract

Changes, taking place nowadays, such as appearance of new states and their recognition, attract much attention of scholars to this problem. Heated debates and controversial conclusions are always raised when it comes to international recognition issues. The first problem which appears while studding unrecognised states can be described as a problem of ‘disappearing object’. Not surprisingly that they are compared with black holes in the Universe or called ‘places which do not exist’. But still, they do exist. Active existence of such formations and even the fact of their proclamation impacts development of another states, international (intrastate) relations and world political system. Military conflicts finish and transform into frozen condition, but unrecognized states do not vanish, which means they have to be studied not only in connection to conflicts. The author of the thesis elaborates in detail upon the phenomenon of self-claimed states in the Post-Soviet space, as well as expands upon recognition problems of Kosovo. Often, interests of big superpowers encounter on the territories of conflicts. The research also talks about a number of countries where secession attempts were suppressed. Such attempts as separation of Canton Jura (Switzerland), the province of South Tyrol in Italy and region of Catalonia in Spain. It is important to understand what circumstances affect separation of certain regions. The factors can vary from economic or socio-cultural to complete disagreements with the center. Also, very important are consequences which can be caused to state sovereignty and statehood itself. The research reveals such term as “economic separatism” and illustrates it on the numerous examples in form of tables and pie charts. The research draws a common line between Nationalistic Separatism (Abkhasia, Nagorno-Karabach, South Osetia) and Economic Separatism (Scotland, South Tyrol, Catalonia etc.).Economically speaking, what is Spain without Catalonia, Moldova without Transnistria, Ukrain without Donbass… The thesis deals (works, elaborates) with the most recent examples (Catalonia, Scotland, South Tyrol) as well as it deals with frozen and sluggish conflicts from the previous century (Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabach, Abchasia etc.) In certain cases (for example Ukraine or Moldova) federalism/federalization can be an optimal solution, however, as time shows us it was not implemented in any ways. ‘Federal states exist in various parts of the world. In some, federalism is taken to the extreme; in others it is only 6 superficial. However, all of them share a number of fundamental common features without which a state cannot exist: foreign policy, defence policy, currency, etc.’ A great majority of unrecognized states has no chances to leave ‘grey zone’ of world politics and be transformed into sovereign states. Today it becomes clear, that for a new state to be internationally recognized even a big desire (for example through a referendum) of citizens of separated territory in not enough. To proclaim independence is not enough (to be considered as a sovereign state), moreover under contemporary conditions it is easily achievable in virtual variant.