Federalism and Nationalism in Post-Socialist Eastern Europe

Authors

• Ellen Comisso, University of California, San Diego

Abstract

The article argues that federalism in post-socialist Eastern Europe, particularly in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union, paradoxically facilitated partition rather than resolving national tensions. While federalism is often seen as a means to accommodate multinational societies, the analysis shows that in these cases, it instead provided institutional frameworks that enabled regional elites to pursue independence. The collapse of central authority and the political calculations of regional leaders, who prioritized maintaining power at the subnational level over preserving the federation, were key factors in the dissolution of these states. Nationalism, while present, often emerged as a consequence of these political dynamics rather than their primary cause.

Disciplines

Law

Recommended Citation

Ellen Comisso, Federalism and Nationalism in Post-Socialist Eastern Europe, 1 Cardozo J. Int'l & Comp. L. 489 (1993).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cjicl/vol1/iss2/14