Regional solutions

Throughout history, the relationship between a state and a territory has been that of a tug-of-war of political and economic power, that of submission and rebellion, dependent on the stability and territorial integrity of a nation.

Up to a point, the entire history of humankind can be described as passing through territorial conquest and establishing the balance of power between the decision-making centre – the city-state, in the past – and conquered territories providing this centre with economic, human and financial resources.

Maintaining this delicate equilibrium of power throughout the nation, by ensuring the fair distribution of wealth for the benefit of weaker and less advantaged regions and preventing any drive for secession for the sake of national unity and stability, has been the overarching task of central authorities for centuries.

Their historic experience has shown time and time again that providing regions with a special status of autonomy, up to – but not necessarily including – giving them legislative and executive powers in managing regional affairs, is the best antidote to secessionist moods and a counterbalance to separatism.

Placing regional resources under control of the regions themselves is also a way of ensuring their optimal use, as regional authorities are best placed to provide for their efficient allocation based on local needs.

It is even more so today, in a time of democracy, when government and governance are exercised within the framework of democratic principles and when local democracy and local and regional self-government are recognised as a constituent part of any democratic system.

The European charter of local self-government, adopted in 1985, boosted the development and strengthening of local democracy by laying down the principle of subsidiarity, under which governing responsibilities must be transferred to the level where they can be fulfilled most efficiently, the level closest to the citizen.

This applies to both local communities and regional structures and has become a requirement of modern democracy, a value shared by all of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states.

Power-sharing with both regions and municipalities is therefore a sine qua non condition of democratic development today. In addition, the special status of regional autonomy offers a sound alternative to conflict and an option for a negotiated solution of questions related to a territory.

This is the firm conviction of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, a representative body and political voice of more than 200,000 territorial communities. This conviction is based on the Congress’ experience gained from its involvement in the regionalisation process in Europe and development of federalism in some Council of Europe member states, such as the Russian Federation.

The stable relationship between the subjects of the federation, based on their autonomous status, and central authorities in Russia are the best assurance of the country’s stability, much as German unity rests on the special status of its Länder, and Belgium, despite existing difficulties, is held together through special arrangements for its constituent regions.

The special status of Catalunia, and power-sharing with other regions, has contributed to the national development in Spain, while the special status of Gagauzia in the Republic of Moldova, which the Congress helped to negotiate, prevented yet another conflict in that country and in the Black Sea basin as a whole.

We in the Congress strongly believe that not all the options for a negotiated solution providing for regional autonomy have been exhausted in the case of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which could have possibly defused the tensions and made avoidable the recent war between Russia and Georgia.

The same goes for other “frozen” conflicts still festering in Europe – a special status for those regions, settled through negotiations and providing for a degree of autonomy, will certainly contribute to resolving these conflicts in a peaceful way. The Congress plans to take up these issues during its session in Strasbourg on 2 December, with a debate on the consequences of the conflict between Georgia and Russia and a round table on regions with a special status.

It is our argument that far from fuelling the desire for secession, the special status for regions today makes a state stronger and more stable, by bringing balance to the power relationship between the centre and the territories, thus reducing the potential for conflict or contributing to the resolution of conflicts when they flare up.

Yet, the principles of such relationship, the principles of regional governance and their place in the system of national government, have not yet been codified in a European legal instrument – despite the fact that many national parliaments in Europe today have regional representation in the second chamber, a growing number of countries have regions with legislative power, and still others are in the process of developing regional structures.

To fill in this gap, the Congress has elaborated the European charter of regional democracy, proposed for adoption by national governments in the form of a European convention.

Apart from being the first legal text laying down the tenets of regional democracy, the charter reaffirms respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity as one of its main principles, and offers a variety of flexible existing models for regional autonomy, which can only strengthen national territorial development, and could be used in settling territorial questions.

These regional models, reflecting different European viewpoints, represent an alternative to any uniform system of regionalisation, and will serve to preserve and enhance regional identity and development in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres. Such an instrument will give legal footing to the national/regional equilibrium, finally setting the rules for the historic power play in which special status for regions is the sure way of preventing and resolving conflict.