Posted on 10/05/2017 9:02:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Catalonia continues to press on with its independence movement, much to the dismay of Spain and the European Union. Catalonia is not the only region in the EU demanding more autonomy or independence.
Here are seven regions in the European Union that may seek separation, and cause more fragmentation in an already weakened Europe.
In 2014, Scotland had a historic referendum on leaving the United Kingdom resulting in a narrow 55 percent vote against leaving the UK.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, head of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, is now calling for a second referendum once Britain’s exit from the EU becomes clear.
Scotland is home to 5.2 million people and has been semi-autonomous since 1998 with a devolved parliament that handles matters of education, health, environment and justice.
Diplomacy and defense remain under the control of London.
Sturgeon openly condemned the Spanish police violence during the Catalonia independence vote.
Housing the center of EU oligarchy, Belgium is anything but a unified state.
Created 1830 as an independent nation to act as a buffer between France and Germany, Belgium is a mix of a Flemish-speaking, conservative northerners and French, left-leaning southerners.
The Flemish nationalist sentiment is more powerful than ever, and the separatist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) is now one of the biggest party in Belgium, and a key partner in the coalition government.
The N-VA is pushing for the creation of a Flemish republic, and during the 2018 elections, it may have its chance.
Flanders’ Minister-President Geert Bourgeois called on the Spanish government to start talks with “the legitimate leaders of a peaceful people”.
Separatist group ETA was founded in 1959 to promote the interests of the Basque region. later turning into a violent independence campaign blamed for 829 deaths.
ETA carried out its last attack in 2010. It has since disarmed in April of this year.
ETA members have now joined a Franco-Spanish Basque political party called Sortu that is working for “full freedom” for Basque’s 2.2 million population.
40,000 people demonstrated in Bilbao in support of Catalonia’s referendum.
The regional president, Inigo Urkullu, called for the recognition of the Catalan and Basque nations.
Under French rule since 1853, New Caledonia reached an agreement in 1998 with Paris for greater autonomy, although many activists say autonomy has not been fully granted.
New Caledonia has on-fourth of the world’s known resources of nickel, but as is the case with most colonial relationships, wealth is properly shared.
Corsica is a Mediterranean island with a population of 330,000 people. It is part of France with its own language.
The separatist National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) ended its armed struggle in June 2014, and has now pushed for a political solution to its demands.
Since 2015 nationalists have been leading the island’s assembly, as Corsica currently has a special administrative status that affords it certain powers, and retains strong autonomy.
The Corsica assembly highlighted “the indisputable legitimacy of the government of Catalonia”.
With a population of 48,000, Denmark’s Faroe Islands will hold a referendum in April 2018 on a new constitution that would give the islands self-determination.
Faroe Islands have been autonomous since 1948. Foreign affairs and defense are under the control of Copenhagen.
These wealthy regions in northern Italy are set to hold non-binding consultative referendums on October 22, asking voters if they favor more autonomy from Italy’s central government.
Politicians in Lombardy and Veneto, which combined account for nearly a third of Italy’s economy, demand a bigger share of tax income.
And then you have those 50 United States... All of whom could succeed from the Union. People are getting dumber and dumber.
This is so silly. You may be able to declare independence from your host country, but you can NEVER escape the coils of the EU. /S
More independence, more competition, more freedom, more human thriving. Decentralization or decentralization. George Soros is not happy about independence movements. So silly to want to responsibility and power to people far away. Sheeple.
More independence, more competition, more freedom, more human thriving. Decentralization or decentralization. George Soros is not happy about independence movements. So silly to want to responsibility and power to people far away. Sheeple.
People don’t want this new world order crap. They want their own culture and people and to hell with the others. border s language and culture.
Everyone deserves their own S***hole!
Daniel 2:41-43 ...’And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken?. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.’
Scotland had a historic referendum on leaving the United Kingdom resulting in a narrow 55 percent vote against leaving the UK.And when the 55 percent is for Obama, it counts as a landslide. 55 to 44.x is not a narrow victory, particularly since the cooked books polling leading up to the referendum was pushed as showing a five percent margin of victory for what turned out to be the losing side. Silesia, an odd partly German, partly Slavic/Polish enclave stitched into Poland by the USSR after WWII, has been seeking greater autonomy, but the Polish government doesn't go for that. I would like to see it, but as with any of these, the majority in the geographic area are not in favor or couldn't care less.
Scotland doesn’t want to leave the EU. Look at how they voted against Brexit. They don’t love the UK but they adore the EU.
Scotland has had better relations with western Europe than England since the Romans went away.
Scotland lives on welfare payments collected from wealthy taxpayers in England. If they left the UK, they wouldn’t be able to pay their bills.
This country hasn't had any serious secessionist movement in more than 150 years because it's the one country in the world that probably still offers the best combination of circumstances that most people would value: (1) modern affluence, and (2) the ability to be left alone if you desire.
In most of these cases, not all of them...the chief sticking point is that various regions are producing a heck of a lot of tax revenue which goes into a national pot, and they (the high-producer region) aren’t getting their fair share back. This is Catalonia’s big issue, and from the European map shown....I’d say at least eight of these other regions have the same problem.
I would say this as well...almost none of these regions have any interest in producing a military if they are allowed split off, and that savings will pour right back into streets, bridges, harbors, railways, etc.
Now, if you asked me in twenty years....will some disorder occur and peace be threatened? Probably an overwhelming possibility.
Silesia belonged to Germany until 1945 when it was given to Poland—at the same time Stalin took large chunks of Eastern Poland (where much of the population was White Russian or Ukrainian). The Germans fled from Silesia and the area was resettled by Poles. If any Germans are there now they are probably not very numerous.
Not German, Silesian.
https://www.ft.com/content/7ff14a52-74a2-11e3-9125-00144feabdc0
http://www.voxeurop.eu/en/content/article/578111-irreducible-autonomy-silesia
http://www.google.com/search?q=Silesian%20Autonomy&spell=1&ie=UTF-8
Scotland didnt exist in Roman times, there were no Scots there. The rest of Britain that had a Celtic population continued to enjoy trade with western and Mediterranean Europe.
California here in the USA...
German, not Polish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsmannschaft_Schlesien
They've been quiet, though, for the past few years, AFAIK.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.