At a declarative level, the EU passes the ‘duck test': it looks like a
duck (has characteristics of a federation), swims like a duck (has one
foreign policy and quasi-coordinated domestic policies), and most of the
time quacks like a duck (it has the objective of speaking with a common
voice, even if it often fails to do so). Despite this, however, the
European Union is a fairly odd duck. Europe is a ‘union’ of states with
unequal levels of economic development and a broad spectrum of interests
and possibilities. Going deeper into its structure, often even within
the same state borders, there is a multitude of socio-economic
differences (N-S, E-W) and regional disparities (for instance
differences in the North-South of Italy, Spain or France, West-East of
Germany or Poland, etc.) If there are still some federalist aspirations
and hopes that maybe one day the EU will become a fully fledged
federation, some aspects of the federalist discourse must be clarified.
Read more on www.democraticunion.eu
Key:
Red – regions with movements that only claim greater autonomy within
the actual state Black – regions with important secessionist movements,
although both categories include moderate movements. The nations
highlighted in colours are the territories claimed by the local
nationalist groups, including areas out of the state’s borders and cases
of wishes for annexation to other states. The Ukrainian situation is
missing from the picture since it is a case in itself. Source: National
and sub-national borders: File:NUTS 3 regions EU-27.svg
