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8
Introduction
SpainisanexampleofthestatewheretheCatalanethno-culturalandeco-
nomicregionalism(metropolitanregionofBarcelona),butalsotheBasquesepa-
ratismhavebecomethebasisfortheregionalisationofthestateandextracting
autonomousregions.Buttherealquestionishowsuchatypeofregionalisation
isdeepeningtheexistingregionalismswhichaferCsatisfying)theirautonomous
aspirationsstartedtoformulateindependentdemandsnow.
Franceisanexampleofarationalistapproachtoregionalissues.Regionali-
sationcarriedoutasaconsequenceofdecentralisationintheearly1980swhen
22regionswerecreatedaslocalgovernmentunitsforthefirsttime,wastheresult
ofanawarenessoftheneedtoadaptthecountry’sterritorialstructuretomodern
developmentprocessesaswellastotheEuropeanUnion)sregionalpolicy.Adopt-
edon17thJanuary2015,thelawonthedelimitationofregionswhichhasreduced
theirnumberfrom22to13isacontinuationofthisprocessbeingthemanifes-
tationofpoliticalpragmatism.Temainmotivesforthisreformweretocreate
largeregions(averageof4millioninhabitants)capabletogenerateeconomicde-
velopmentefectivelyandabletocompetewiththeirEuropeancounterparts.Te
identityfactorsgavewaytopragmaticsandpoliticalalliances,asaresultofwhich
suchregionsasAlsace,LorraineandChampagne-Ardennehavebeenmerged.
InPolishconditionsregionalisationtookplaceduetotheterritorialreformof
1999andisanexampleofapragmaticapproachtotheissuesofregionaliden-
tityaswell.Tiswasassociatedwithahighlevelofdiversitywhenitcomesto
regionalidentityandregionalisminPolandand,aboveall,thewilltomaintain
ahomogeneousandunitarystructureofthestate.Asaresult,49voivodeships
werereplacedby16relativelylargeonesthatlooselyrefertothehistoricaldivi-
sions.Insuchanapproach,however,therewasnoplaceforpoliticalrecognition
ofseparateidentityofsomeofthem,includingUpperSilesia,whichforexample
intheinterwarperiodhadalargedegreeofautonomy.TatiswhytodayPolish
regionshaveaboveallafunctionaldimensionandarede-concentratedareasof
bothcentralgovernmentstructuresaswellaslocalauthorities.
Teregionalisationtakingplaceinneweconomicconditionsseemstobe
ahistoricalnecessityarisingfrompragmaticsoftheeconomicsystemandthe
recognitionoftherightsofeachindividualtocultivatehisorherowndistinct
regionalidentity.Terefore,thefutureofthestateremainsanopenquestion
especiallyfromthepointofviewofindependenttendenciesinsomepartsof
Europe.However,duetoofthechangeintheRussianinternationalpolicyand
thethreatfromIslamicStateofIraqandal-Shamwerealisenowmorethanafew
yearsagohowimportantrolethestatehastoplayandhowstrongtheEuropean
Unionthankstoitsmemberstatesshouldbe.
Tisbookisajointinitiativeofthemembersoftheinternationalresearch
networkOLA(ObservatoryonLocalAutonomy)andinvitedguestswhocon-
centrateintheirresearchonregionalissuesfromdiferentsocial,economicand
politicalperspectives.
