SUPRANATIONALISMand DEVOLUTION
Political GeographyChapter 8
European Regions
• Western Europe
• The British Isles
• Nordic Europe
• Mediterranean Europe
• Eastern Europe
WHAT DOES THEFUTURE HOLDFOR EUROPE?
•UNIFICATION?•INSTABILITY?
Supranationalism• A venture involving three or more states• Political, economic, and/or cultural
cooperation to promote shared objectives
New “Euro”Currency
European Supranationalism
Why would anyone want to give away international autonomy, one of the most sought after goals in this century?
1944 Benelux
Agreement
•Netherlands•Belgium•Luxembourg
HAVE MUCH IN COMMON LINGUISTICALLY AND ECONONOMICALLY
Primary function of the OEEC
To accept and distribute funds allocated under the Marshall Plan
Developed by the U.S. to assist the rebuilding of European countries at the end of WW II
History of European Supranationalism
Examples of European Supranationalism
European Union (EU)
• Original Members: (12) Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK
• Established: 7 February 1992• Effective: 1 November 1993• Aimed to coordinate policy among the
members in three fields: -- economics -- defense-- justice and home affairs
European Union Members Today
• Belgium• Netherlands• Luxembourg• France• Italy• Germany• Britain• Ireland
• Denmark• Greece• Spain• Portugal• Austria• Sweden• Finland
Today there are 27 members
European Supranationalism
•EU Members•Non-members •Prospective Members
SupranationalismProblems
• Loss of autonomy
• Disparities in levels of economic development
• Technical barriers
• Cultural barriers
DEVOLUTION
• The powerful centrifugal process whereby regions or people within a state demand and gain political strength and autonomy.
• Many of Europe’s devolutionary movements came from nations within a state that define themselves as distinct ethnically, linguistically, or religiously.
• Examples: Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia
BASQUE – devolutionary process
Within Spain there are independence movements in some of the autonomous regions, notably the regions of Catalonia, Basque country and Navarre. These are mostly peaceful but some, such as ETA and Terra Lliure, have used violent means.
SHATTERBELTS OF EUROPE
Does USA have any Devolutionary Pressures?
• YES! Hawai’i.• 1993 marked the 100-year anniversary of the
USA’s annexation of Hawai’i.• Local minority native Hawaiians demanded the
return of rights lost during the ‘occupation’.• This included the right to reestablish an
independent state called Hawai’i.• Unfortunately they lack numbers, resources and
influence to achieve their separatist aims.